Watch CBS News

College Football Player Paralyzed After Shooting At New Year's Eve Party

BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- A Marshall University football player from Maryland is now paralyzed after being shot at a New Year's Eve party in Anne Arundel County.

Marshall redshirt freshman defensive tackle Larry Aaron, 19, is paralyzed after being struck by stray gunfire, his mother, Melissa Aaron, told the Herald-Dispatch.

Just one hour into the new year, gunfire at a party in paralyzed a college football player, and police are searching for the trigger puller, and a motive.

Police tell us Aaron was hit in the back with a stray bullet.

On Tuesday, his coach tweeted thoughts and prayers.

The football program wrote in a tweet, "It's time for Herd nation to wrap their loving arms around Larry Aaron."

The shooting happened just before 1 a.m. on New Year's Day, at a home on Bastille Road in Severn. Responding officers found a man who had been shot in the back.

RELATED: Two People Shot At New Year's Eve Party

Melissa Aaron told the Herald-Dispatch that Aaron's injuries are not considered to be life-threatening, but he is paralyzed.

How he became an accidental victim at a party in a quiet Severn neighborhood is now under investigation.

"Advertised it on Snapchat and through social media. Quickly got out of hand, and got to the point where it couldn't be controlled," said Anne Arundel County PD Lt. Ryan Frashure.

Frashure says as many as 150 teenagers and young adults packed the house after seeing the party on Snapchat.

With yellow police tape piled into the garbage outside, what led to the gunfire, and who pulled the trigger, is still a mystery.

Detectives are now asking partygoers to hand over any pictures or videos from the hours before.

"Let our detectives take a look at those and see if it's something they can use to identify a suspect," Frasure added.

Police say since a lot people learned about the party on Snapchat, they came from all over, even from out of state and out of town, which is complicating the investigation.

A 17-year-old was also hit in the arm by the gunfire.

Anyone with information about this shooting is asked to call police at (410) 222-6155.

Follow @CBSBaltimore on Twitter and like WJZ-TV | CBS Baltimore on Facebook

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.