Marshall DT Aaron dies after being shot saving girlfriend

Larry Aaron, a 19-year-old freshman who played defensive tackle at Marshall, has died after being shot by stray gunfire at a New Year's Eve celebration in Severn, Md.

The university confirmed Aaron's death to ESPN on Thursday and issued a statement on his passing.

"Marshall University lost a very special young man today and it has shocked and saddened us all," Thundering Herd coach Doc Holliday said in the statement. "Our thoughts and prayers are with all of Larry Aaron's family and friends, many of whom were his fellow Thundering Herd teammates. His loss will be felt in every corner of our program and his spirit will never be forgotten."

Aaron was paralyzed by the gunshot wound he suffered when throwing his body in front of his girlfriend to protect her, according to The Herald-Dispatch in Huntington, W.Va.

On Wednesday night, Holliday tweeted that he and the entire football program were thinking about and praying for him and his family and that Aaron had "a lot of fight in him."

Aaron played in eight games for the Thundering Herd last season, totaling 13 tackles. He played in Marshall's 31-28 victory against Colorado State in the Gildan New Mexico Bowl on Dec. 6, recording one stop.

--Field Level Media

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