Marshall redshirt freshman defensive tackle Larry Aaron was hit by a stray bullet and paralyzed after a New Year's Eve party in Severn, Md., according to multiple reports Tuesday.
Aaron's mother, Melissa Aaron, confirmed that her son suffered a gunshot wound in the back that left him with no feeling in his legs.
"I'm in shock myself," Melissa Aaron said Monday night. "I'm just numb. It's such a freak accident."
The 6-foot-5, 272-pound Aaron had 13 tackles in eight games during the 2017 season. His last game was in the Gildan New Mexico Bowl on Dec. 16 when he made one tackle in Marshall's 31-28 win over Colorado State.
According to WJZ-TV in Baltimore, two people were shot at the party. Police responded early Monday morning to a call at a home in Severn.
Aaron's mother said her son was standing near a wall when an incident led to shots being fired.
The injuries are not considered life-threatening.
"It is in his spine and he has no feeling in his legs," Melissa Aaron told the Huntington Herald-Dispatch. "They can't remove it because they are afraid it could be dangerous and hinder him even more to do so. It is right in the middle of his spine."
