Tumbler Ridge shooting survivor Maya Gebala turns 13 amid ongoing recovery

Maya Gebala, shot in the head during the Tumbler Ridge school shooting, celebrated her 13th birthday in Vancouver with bowling, air hockey and a Foo Fighters concert.

Maya Gebala marks 13th birthday with Foo Fighters concert and bowling after Tumbler Ridge shooting

Maya Gebala, who was shot in the head during the mass shooting at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School in February, celebrated her 13th birthday in Vancouver over the weekend, according to cbc.ca. Her parents documented the occasion through a series of Facebook posts showing activities that included bowling, air hockey and attendance at a Foo Fighters concert at B.C. Place.

"[Thirteen] looks different but you wear it well," her mother, Cia Edmonds, wrote in one post. "I am watching you become someone new, again and again... Thank you for staying with us."

Her father, David Gebala, posted a photo of his daughter outside B.C. Place making the rock symbol with her hand, thanking the venue and local rock station CFOX for making the evening possible. "It was truly a night to remember," he said.

Other posts showed Gebala blowing out candles on a birthday cake — a milestone for someone who was unable to move just months earlier following a traumatic brain injury.

Extent of injuries detailed in court filings

The family has not spoken directly to media, but details of Gebala's condition have emerged through lawsuits filed in California against tech firm OpenAI and its CEO Sam Altman over their alleged roles in the shooting. Court documents filed in April 2026 state that Gebala was shot three times and that a bullet struck her skull and "shattered bone fragments through her brain."

"She is awake and aware, and she recognizes her mother's voice and face, but she cannot move her body and she cannot speak," the lawsuit states. "If M.G. survives, she will tragically live the rest of her life like this, with catastrophic brain injuries and permanent disabilities."

In May, the family announced Gebala had undergone a cranioplasty — her fifth surgery since the February shooting — in which a prosthetic barrier was installed to address swelling and deflation in her skull caused by the initial injury. Since then, the family has shared video of her on outings around Vancouver, as she is no longer confined to B.C. Children's Hospital where she has been receiving treatment. More recent posts show her communicating with family members and waving to the camera.

B.C. government launches its own legal action against OpenAI

On Monday, the British Columbia government announced it is filing its own lawsuit against OpenAI, citing the tech company's alleged role in the Tumbler Ridge mass shooting that left Gebala and others gravely injured. The February attack claimed multiple lives and has since prompted legal action from multiple parties on both sides of the border.

Source: Google News CA — Crime (EN)