Trent Lehrkamp hazing: FBI joins probe as shocking new details emerge, people outside hospital demand justice
Warning: Graphic content
GLYNN COUNTY, GEORGIA: The Federal Bureau of Investigation has reportedly joined a probe into the alleged hazing and torture of Trent Lehrkamp last week, as enraged supporters crowded outside the hospital where the teenager is, to demand action.
A mob of hundreds swarmed outside the hospital where 19-year-old Lehrkamp was being treated on Monday night, March 27. While the they had gathered for a candlelight vigil, many demanded legal action against the teenaged perpetrators, who are reportedly students at the nearby Glynn Academy High School. While no charges have been filed at this time, local authorities revealed they were now consulting with the FBI and other law enforcement agencies as the investigation proceeds.
ALSO READ
'He has no other friends'
According to the New York Post, Lehrkamp was dropped off at a Brunswick emergency room early Wednesday morning, March 22, after being plied with dangerous amounts of alcohol, spray painted from head to toe and urinated on. A police report noted how the teenager was placed on a ventilator in an ICU unit with a sky-high 0.46 blood alcohol level. Fortunately, his condition has since stabilized. The boy's devastated father, Mark, told the authorities that his son had been repeatedly hazed and bullied by the same group of boys at a house in the affluent enclave of Saint Simon’s Island. He said his son continued to associate with the perpetrators “because he has no other friends.”
Social media activity
A number of videos and photos of Lehrkamp's abuse were posted on social media, sparking anger among the community and sympathy for the embattled teenager. Authorities are currently investigating whether a photo circulating on social media was taken during last week's incident. The image apparently shows Lehrkamp unconscious in a chair while covered in spray paint, while four males stand behind him and pose for the camera.
Lehrkamp's father told police that he had gone to the same location just days before the life-threatening episode and returned home covered in “WD-40, vomit, paint, glue, egg yolk and spray paint,” per court documents. The teenagers who dropped Lehrkamp off at the hospital last week reportedly gave staffers their names and contact details but left before police arrived. A number of outlets reported that the Glynn Academy graduate lost his mother two years ago when she was just 43. According to the Post, he is being treated at the same hospital where she died.
A GoFundMe campaign was set up to cover Lehrkamp’s medical bills and recovery in the aftermath of the shocking incident. The campaign has raised more than $87,000 thus far.
Meanwhile, the Glynn County Police Department said in a statement, "We are aware of the allegations of an off-campus incident that involved several of our former and current students. At this time, the Glynn County Police Department is actively investigating this matter and we are cooperating. Please know that we take very seriously all concerns regarding the safety and well-being of our students, both on and off campus."
If you or anyone you know has information related to the case, you are urged to contact the Glynn County Police Department via phone or email: 912-264-1333 or 911silentwitness@glynncounty-ga.gov.