A 12-year-old girl remains in critical condition following the deadly mass shooting at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School in British Columbia, Canada on Tuesday, February 10.
At the time of writing, the attack, the fourth deadliest in the country’s history, has claimed the lives of nine people, while a further 27 were injured.
12-year-old Maya, a student at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School, was in the latter group of victims. She was airlifted to Vancouver Children’s Hospital with life-threatening injuries, with a report from PEOPLE detailing that she was shot in the neck and head.
The child’s mother, Cia Edmonds, wrote a Facebook post providing an update on her daughter’s condition, revealing that she remains in critical care.
“I’m writing this post sitting in Vancouver children’s hospital while my daughter fights for her life,” Edmonds shared in her post.
“Today started as any other. [Now], however, my 12 year old daughter is fighting for her life while they try to repair the damage from a gun shot wound to the head. And one to the neck.”
Though Maya’s condition is grave, her mother said that she was “a lucky one, I suppose,” reflecting on the deadly nature of the incident.
“Condolences to the other families during this tragedy… This doesnt even feel real… I never thought I would be asking for prayers.. but please please, pray for my baby.”
While the local community remains in shock and mourning, details are steadily emerging regarding the suspected perpetrator of the atrocity.
As per reports, 18-year-old Jesse van Rootselaar has been named as a suspect. It’s believed that the teen killed their mother and stepbrother at home before traveling to the school to embark upon a rampage of violence.
Rootselaar was found dead at the scene with what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
In a statement offered to CityNews, Krysta Hunt, the cousin of Cia Edmonds, further detailed the severity of Maya’s injuries.
“She had surgery yesterday to try and repair the brain bleed, and they are waiting to see how she responds to that,” Hunt said.
“She’s fighting for her life right now.”
Hunt also said that the medical team at Vancouver Children’s Hospital was uncertain if the bullet in Maya’s neck had passed entirely through or was still lodged inside.
“She wasn’t sure that she would make it through the night, so the fact that she has shows so much, just in that progress,” Hunt said.
A GoFundMe page has been established to support Maya on her road to recovery. It has so far raised over $255,000. It can be found here.
We’re sending prayers and thoughts for Maya, and all the other victims of this senseless attack.
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