Dad: 'Bravest Person I Know' Is Home 262 Days After BC Shooting

The girl who doctors feared wouldn't survive the night is finally going home. After 262 days in a Vancouver children's hospital, 13-year-old Maya Gebala, critically wounded in February's school shooting in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, has been discharged, her father announced on social media, per CNN. "The road ahead is still long, but this is a milestone no one thought we would reach," wrote David Gebala, calling his daughter "the bravest person I know." "Giving up was never an option for me, and it clearly never was for you either," he noted. "Look at you, my girl. You blew every expectation out of the water."

Maya was shot three times, including in the head, in the attack that killed eight people, six of them children. Her father detailed five surgeries, including the placement of a prosthetic skull, and milestones like her first intentional smile and the return of her voice. The CBC notes that Maya's family has suggested in the past they may relocate to Vancouver permanently so they can be closer to the long-term medical care Maya will require, though it's not clear if they still plan to do so. The family is also suing OpenAI, alleging that the shooter used ChatGPT to help plan the massacre.