(NewsNation) — A 19-year-old Georgia man who was hospitalized last week after a suspected violent bullying incident said it will “take a long time for (him) to get over this.”
In an exclusive message to NewsNation affiliate WSAV, Trent Lehrkamp said he’s “alive and doing well,” though he doesn’t expect the trauma of the situation to go away any time soon.
“One day hopefully within the next few months or so, I might be back,” Lehrkamp told WASAV in an audio message.
The man’s family also dispelled misinformation spreading online, including rumors that Lehrkamp is on the autism spectrum and that there was a lock on his home pantry to stop him from eating. Neither statement is true, his family told WSAV.
Police in Glynn County, Georgia, are continuing to investigate the incident, which came to a head on March 27, when Lehrkamp was dropped off at a local hospital covered in spray paint and urine with a .464 blood-alcohol level.
Lehrkamp went to a house that day to hang out with people he considered friends and, because they were younger than him, thought they might look up to him, according to a Glynn County Police incident report obtained by WSAV.
Hours later, three minors dropped off Lehrkamp at a hospital in the nearby city of Brunswick. The 19-year-old was unresponsive and breathing just six times per minute. Police documents note he was covered in spray paint and his clothes were soaked with urine.
As authorities continue to investigate what happened at the party, social media posts that circulated afterward showed four boys standing around a man who appeared to be unconscious, covered in spray paint and other items.
Police have identified everyone pictured in those posts, WSAV reported.
Officers also said the department is conducting forensic analysis “on devices,” according to a news release, which did not elaborate further.