A 12-year-old girl was critically injured in the Canada school shooting after being shot in the head as she tried to save her classmates.

Maya Gebala was among the 31 victims wounded or killed by Jesse Van Rootselaar, 18, when the transgender teenager opened fire on pupils and staff at Tumbler Ridge on Tuesday. Her mother said Maya now “needs a miracle”. Maya suffered wounds to her head and neck when she hid under a table after trying to lock the school’s library so that the gunman could not enter.

Three 12-year-old girls, two boys aged 12 and 13, and a 39-year-old female teacher died, and Van Rootselaar’s mother and step-brother were also shot dead.

Maya was then airlifted to a children’s hospital in Vancouver. Quoted by The Telegraph, Krysta Hunt, Maya’s aunt, said: “She had surgery yesterday to try and repair the brain bleed and they’re waiting to see how she responds to that.

“[Maya] tried to lock the door of the library from the shooter to save the other kids and then she tried to lock it and then ran and hid under a table and [got shot]. You don’t think something like this is going to affect your family. It’s insane.”

Cia Edmonds, Maya’s mother, wrote on Facebook: “I can feel her in my heart. I can feel her saying it’s going to be OK.

“I cannot reply to the mountain of messages we’ve received, but know we are so grateful for all the love and support, she’s here for how long we don’t know. It was just a normal day. Our community is shattered. Our baby needs a miracle.”

Writing on the GoFundMe page, she also said: ”I’m writing this post sitting in Vancouver children’s hospital while my daughter fights for her life. 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. She was a lucky one, I suppose. Condolences to the other families during this tragedy. This doesn’t even feel real. I never thought I would be asking for prayers.. but please please, pray for my baby.”

Paige Hoekstra, Maya’s classmate, is also in critical care at the hospital and has undergone surgery, The Telegraph reported.

Her older brother Nicholas said: “We’re still trying to wrap our heads around it. It all happened so fast. “Watching someone you love go through something like this is something you can’t really prepare for. We’re scared, we’re hoping, and we’re just taking it one moment at a time.”