DALTON, Ga. — A 17-year-old Northwest Whitfield High School student who was accidentally shot in the back last week is dealing with substantial injuries, friends say.

“I saw Evan’s mom and him this morning, and that was the first time I had seen him,” Austin Culp, Evan Elrod’s coach at Culprit Athletics, said Tuesday. “He is an extremely positive kid. … All he wanted to know was about people and wanting everyone to know that he was OK.”

The Whitfield County Sheriff’s Office said the injuries occurred following the “accidental discharge of a firearm” early Friday morning in Cohutta and an investigation is continuing. No charges have been filed.

Deputies responded to a 911 call reporting the shooting at 1:27 a.m. at a home on Standifer Road in the northern part of the county off of Cohutta-Varnell Road. Reports to 911 in the call indicated Elrod was shot with a .12 gauge shotgun.

“Upon the initial investigation it was determined (an individual) was manipulating a firearm inside of the residence at which time the firearm discharged, striking Christopher ‘Evan’ Elrod in the back,” Capt. Paul Woods with the sheriff’s office said in a statement. “All parties at the scene are cooperating with the ongoing investigation. Preliminary investigation indicates no consumption of alcohol by (the individual holding the firearm). Once the investigation is complete it will be turned over to Team Review for review.”

If charges are to be sought at that point, Woods said, the investigation would be turned over to the district attorney’s office. 

Friends and fellow Northwest students turned out for a blood drive at Culprit on Tuesday with more than 32 units of blood collected halfway through the five-hour drive. Despite the needles, Emma Dyer, a freshman at Dalton State College, said it was worth it to help out. 

“It is just weird to think all the times you have been around him and seen him and you never think something like this can happen or be this bad,” Dyer said. “It is just kind of shocking because you can’t go back.”

Kalli Broadrick, a Dalton High School graduate and a Dalton State student, agreed.

“He and some of his buddies would drive scooters to my house and go play basketball at the church and I would drive them around,” said Broadrick. “I was very shocked. I am very upset about it. I don’t usually do this, but this is for a great cause.”

Culp said despite seeking a reason for Elrod’s injuries, he received a lot of peace after seeing Elrod and his mother, Krista Jones.  

“The main point is that Evan and his mom know this was completely accidental and a terrible occurrence and no one specific is to blame for it,” Culp said. “They still believe it is in God’s plan for him to have to go through this. That is the main focus now — less about the occurrence and more on loving him and telling his story of his recovery.”

“To see this happen, the first question you ask is why and you want it to make some sense,” he said. “But Evan was at peace and to see him react in a positive manner and be worried about others, he is my hero.”

A Facebook benefit page has been started by Jay Biddle, Krista Jones’ employer. Raising Money for Krista and Evan is available through Biddle’s page. As of Tuesday evening, the page had raised more than $19,000 of a $50,000 goal.