Tumbler Ridge shooting: Maya Gebala shot while desperately trying to lock out shooter

‘They heard the screams and chaos, and Maya and her classmates tried to close the library door and lock it,’ said Krysta Hunt, a cousin of Maya’s mom, describing what the family was told.

Maya Gebala remains in a medically induced coma in B.C. Children’s Hospital after trying to lock the Tumbler Ridge shooter out of the school library. Photo by David Gebala /Facebook

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Three days after eight people were killed in the mass shooting in Tumbler Ridge, a 12-year-old girl who tried to protect her classmates remains in the fight of her life.

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With her parents and loved ones by her side, Maya Gebala is in a medically induced coma in the intensive-care unit at B.C. Children’s Hospital in Vancouver.

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Maya was one of two teens injured when a shooter carrying two firearms came through the doors of the local high school and began firing, killing six at the school.

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Another student injured in the shooting, Paige Hoekstra, is in stable condition in Vancouver General Hospital on Friday, and might be discharged this weekend.

Maya, a seventh-grader, was in the library at the time of the shooting and, based on what family was told, displayed a bravery and selflessness beyond her years.

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“They heard the screams and chaos, and Maya and her classmates tried to close the library door and lock it,” said Krysta Hunt, a cousin of Maya’s mom, describing what the family was told.

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Maya Gebala remains in a medically induced coma in B.C. Children’s Hospital after trying to lock the Tumbler Ridge shooter out of the school library. Photo by David Gebala /Facebook

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The door lock, however, was broken and it wouldn’t lock properly.

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“Maya’s classmate ran for cover, and Maya spent an extra few seconds trying to lock the door,” said Hunt. “She was not successful.”

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The shooter smashed through the door as Maya ran for shelter under a desk. But it was too late.

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The shooter fired one shot. It grazed Maya’s cheek and ear. The second and third bullets hit Maya in the head and neck.

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In the aftermath, a classmate saw Maya’s finger move and alerted first responders to care for her first, said Hunt.

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Maya’s mom, Cia Edmonds, was expecting her older daughter to come by her workplace that day to get some lunch money. She didn’t appear, and Cia didn’t think much of it until she got a call later that the school was in lockdown, said Hunt.

Because of the urgency of Maya’s condition, she was quickly flown to Vancouver. Edmonds and Maya’s father, David Gebala, followed on a subsequent flight.

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Doctors told the family Maya might not survive the night and likely has permanent brain damage, but the family is clinging to hope.

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On Thursday, movement was detected in Maya’s limbs, Edmonds said in a Facebook post. A “stimulus, a kick, a hand move, but it’s something.”

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There were more such involuntary movements on Friday, said Hunt, a sign Maya’s body is unaffected from the neck down. But there is major swelling in her brain, and she’s unable to breathe on her own.

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The prognosis remains serious, and the family expects she’ll be in critical care for an extended period.

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“All we can do is pray and hope that there is change,” said Hunt.

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Maya is a “ray of light,” strong and feisty, “just an amazing little girl,” she said. There’s nothing she couldn’t do.”

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An avid hockey player, she played defence for the U-13 Tumbler Ridge Raptors. In 2024, her team went to Calgary for WickFest, an all-female hockey festival founded by four-time Olympic gold medallist Hayley Wickenheiser.

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“Pulling for you Maya and all your teammates hurting today,” said Wickenheiser, who shared links to a fundraiser for Maya and other victims of the mass shooting.

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Maya’s family expressed their gratitude for the outpouring of support from their community and the world.

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“We really could not have done this without all of you,” Hunt said. “We would also like to give our condolences to the family of those lost, and show our support for those affected in other ways. It is a difficult time for everyone, and we really have to hold each other so close.” 

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Paige Hoekstra, one of the two teenagers badly injured in the Tumbler Ridge school shooting, is recovering and was active on social media Friday. Photo by Family handout /Facebook

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Meanwhile, Hoekstra, the 19-year-old who was shot in the chest successfully had surgery. On Friday, she said she expected to get an X-ray scan to check on a tube to see whether it can be removed.

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She was able to communicate on social media and said she is “in a safe place to heal” in response to a commenter concerned about the psychological scars left by the shooting.

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“I will say currently my mental state is stable though mainly because of how I push it to the back of my mind for the time being,” she said, adding: “I won’t do that forever, just until I can heal more first.”

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Leann Fletcher, Paige’s older sister, said the family was comforted by the outpouring of support from friends, family, and the community.

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“We would also like to extend our own support and prayers to the families of the all the other victims,” she said on Facebook. “We are so (fortunate) that Paige will be OK and we are here with you in your grief with the rest of the community.”