Maya Gebala, Tumbler Ridge Shooting Survivor, Has Breathing Tube Removed

Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia – A 12-year-old girl critically injured in the February 10th mass shooting in Tumbler Ridge, B.C., has had her breathing tube removed, her mother announced Friday. Maya Gebala is now breathing on her own, according to a post on Cia Edmonds’ Facebook account.

The removal of the breathing tube was described as a “terrifying experience” by Edmonds, who said she held her daughter’s hand as Maya winced during the procedure. Despite the difficulty, Edmonds reported that Maya is “doing great” and “looking more like her beautiful self.”

Maya and her father, David Gebala, have stated that Maya was struck in the neck and just above her left eye when Jesse Van Rootselaar opened fire at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School. CBC News reports that eight people were killed in the shooting.

Van Rootselaar had previously killed her mother, Jennifer Strang, and 11-year-old half-brother, Emmett Jacobs, at their home in Tumbler Ridge before going to the school. A service celebrating the lives of Strang and Jacobs will be held Saturday, according to a Facebook post by the Tumbler Ridge Chamber of Commerce. Global News provides further details on the family’s memorial plans.

The Tumbler Ridge and Prince George Chambers of Commerce are advocating for a ban on children under 16 using AI tools and social media, citing the potential for online harms. Jerrilyn Kirk, executive director of the Tumbler Ridge chamber, pointed to research linking unregulated access to digital applications with “social instability, mental health pressures and public safety risks.” Global News details the chambers’ concerns and their call for government action.

Van Rootselaar was banned by OpenAI last June for violating its ChatGPT policies, but the company only informed police after her identity became public following the shooting. B.C.’s chief coroner, Dr. Jatinder Baidwan, has announced an inquest into the shootings, which will consider the role of artificial intelligence.

The RCMP investigation is ongoing. Staff Sgt. Kris Clark stated that the investigation will conclude only after “all investigative avenues have been exhausted.”