Apr. 3—Denise O'Neal marched up Mallery Street Saturday with two teenage girls yelling "Justice for Trent" hoping that the girls and all youths can learn a lesson from the story of Trent Lehrkamp.

"I think it's important for kids to know that what happened was wrong and that if they know something, they should tell their parents," O'Neal said.

O'Neal and nearly 200 other people gathered behind the St. Simons Island Casino Saturday afternoon carrying signs saying things like "Hate has no place on SSI," "Together we can end bullying," and "Justice 4 Trent."

The goal of the rally was twofold — to show support for 19-year-old Lehrkamp, who is still recovering in the hospital after being dropped off by three minors at the emergency room on March 21 nearly dead with a blood alcohol level of .464 and covered in spray paint and urine — and to call for arrests of the people they say are responsible for Lehrkamp's hospitalization.

The Glynn County Police confirmed on Sunday that Lehrkamp was released from the hospital at Southeast Georgia Health System and will be continuing his recovery out of state.

The police investigation into Lehrkamp's case became public on March 26 when a photo and video began circulating widely on social media that showed Lehrkamp enduring what the people gathered Saturday call "abuse," and "torture."

The video, which police say was taken on March 17, shows Lehrkamp slumped over in a chair while a teenager sprays him with a hose and other teenagers stand nearby.

The photo, which police say was made March 21, shows what appears to be an unconscious Lehrkamp taped to a chair, covered in spray paint and other items and substances with four boys posing behind him.

While words like "abuse" and "torture" were used Saturday by the crowd at the rally to describe the incidents, police still haven't officially called it anything. No arrests had been made or charges filed in the case as of Saturday, 11 days after Lehrkamp was left breathing just six times per minute at the emergency room.

The lack of arrests prompted Saturday's rally. Organizer Theawanza Brooks said 11 days is already too long for no arrests. She said the Golden Isles Community has watched too many times as the Glynn County Police Department has covered up crimes by not making arrests. Brooks noted that in this case, the community shouldn't have to wait 74 days for charges as it did in the case against Ahmaud Arbery's murderers.

"This continues to be a problem for us in Glynn County," she said.

Brooks called for a peaceful rally, and she got one as the crowd carried their signs, some wearing Trent's favorite color, red, and marched from the flagpole, down the sidewalk at Neptune Park, up Mallery Street to Ocean Boulevard, then back around on Demere Street to Neptune Park. She led the march calling through a megaphone "Justice" and getting a reply of "for Trent," among other rallying cries.

Dozens of Glynn County Police and Glynn County Sheriff's deputies walked along with them, stopping and directing traffic as the group marched in the roads.

Brooks reiterated the call for arrests to be made when they returned to the flagpole amid questions from the crowd about why police haven't requested camera footage from neighbors of the house where the incidents allegedly took place.

"We're just trying to understand once again why it's taking the police so long to do their job," Brooks said. "I'm still stuck on why no arrests have been made."

Police say they have identified the minors involved in the incidents and are working with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation to examine electronic evidence from their cellphones. Police also say they have interviewed Lehrkamp and the minors involved and that they are following up on all leads that come their way through direct communication and social media.

Interim Police Chief O'Neal Jackson, who was on hand Saturday, urged the public on Wednesday to be patient because the investigation takes time and has been hampered by misinformation being spread on social media.