Terry Newman: The young heroes of Tumbler Ridge

In the midst of all the chaos and terror, two young female heroes sprang into action to help their classmates Maya Gebala suffered head and neck injuries in the Tumbler Ridge, B.C., mass shooting. Photo by Facebook

at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School, two young female heroes, Maya Gebala and Maddie Levesque, sprang into action to help their classmates, reminding us of what it means to be human. Both girls should be nominated for the Cross of Valour — the highest distinction that can be awarded in this country for exceptional acts of courage.

These two 12-year-old girls, who never should have known such horror, exhibited the kind of bravery that is rare, even among adults.

Van Rootselaar entered the school, killing one victim in a stairwell and then heading to the school’s library. According to family members, in an attempt to save her classmates, Maya tried to lock the door of the library to stop the shooter from entering. When she realized she was unable to secure it in time, she ran and hid under a table. She was then shot twice, in the head and neck, and remains in critical condition.

Maya’s cousin, Krystal Hunt, commended a student, whose name hasn’t been revealed, who she said saw Maya’s finger moving and called for help. “She wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for her student friend that saw her finger move and said, ‘I think she’s still alive,’ and they hauled her out of there.… She got quick care because of that child … could have saved her life,” said Hunt.

And there are more heroes. In an interview with CTV News, Lance Younge, the father of deceased victim Kylie Smith, told reporters, “There’s a hero named Maddie Levesque who did CPR on my daughter for 45 minutes. And she was the one who came and told us nine hours later that our daughter had passed, because the police hadn’t said anything to us.

“Like, these are the heroes. You want to put someone’s picture up on the news? Put Maddie’s picture up. Put my daughter’s picture up. Put Ticaria and Abel and Ezekiel and Maya, who’s still fighting for her life. Put all their pictures up. Let’s stop giving this psychopath the recognition, because these kids were lost before they got to become teenagers. So let’s put their pictures up please and remember them.”

A GoFundMe page has been set up to support family members affected by the Tumbler Ridge tragedy.

As for the Governor General’s awards for bravery, there are three nomination levels, with the highest being the Cross of Valour, followed by the Star of Courage and the Medal of Bravery. There is no limit to the number of individuals who can be nominated and win in a single year or for a single event.