Larry Aaron III Died From New Year's Eve Shooting: Police

A Columbia teen has died nearly eight weeks after he was shot at a New Year's Eve party in Severn, police said on Thursday. The college football player was hit by stray gunfire at the party and had been paralyzed from the waist down ever since.

Lawrence "Larry" Aaron III, 19, died from his injuries Thursday at Frederick Memorial Hospital, according to the Anne Arundel County Police Department. Detectives are now investigating the shooting as a homicide, and the suspect remains unknown.

Aaron, who graduated from Oakland Mills High School in Columbia, was a sophomore at Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia, where he was on a full football scholarship.

His teammates visited him at Frederick Memorial Hospital on Wednesday after learning that he had suffered complications from treatment as a result of the shooting, according to West Virginia newspaper The Herald-Dispatch.

"Marshall University lost a very special young man today, and it has shocked and saddened us all," Marshall University head football coach Doc Holliday said in a statement on Aaron's death.

"His loss will be felt in every corner of our program," Holliday added, "and his spirit will never be forgotten."

Following a release from a physical rehabilitation facility earlier this month, Aaron had been at the hospital in Frederick since Monday when he developed blood clots, according to WBAL, which reported he was taken off a ventilator on Thursday.

At the time of the shooting, police said Aaron was attending a New Year's Eve party with friends.

"...my son stepped in front of his girlfriend to shield her, and one of the bullets got him," Aaron's father told WBAL.

Officers were called to the 7800 block of Bastille Road in Severn for reports of a large party underway at approximately 1 a.m. on Jan. 1, 2018. Authorities said Aaron, who had been shot in the back, was taken to the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center for treatment.

Investigators learned of a second victim, a 17-year-old boy who left the scene before police arrived. The teen was shot in the arm and driven to St. Agnes Hospital by a friend. The youth was treated for an injury that was not believed to be life-threatening.

Detectives are trying to identify the suspect(s) and motive for the shooting. Anyone with information
is asked to call the Anne Arundel County Homicide Unit at 410-222- 4731. Those who would like to remain anonymous can call the Anne Arundel County Police Department's Tip Line at 410-222- 4700 or Metro Crime Stoppers.

SEE ALSO:

• Alum Paralyzed In Shooting Honored At Oakland Mills Bball Game
• Columbia Man Paralyzed From New Year's Eve Shooting
• Reward In Columbia Football Player Shooting At $10K

Pictures of Larry Aaron via GoFundMe.