A Texas man has been arrested and charged with murder after allegedly shooting and killing his friend while the two were reportedly taking turns wearing a Kevlar helmet and firing a rifle at each other.
Sean Odonnell, 37, was taken into custody on Thursday in connection with the death of 34-year-old Aaron Prout, who was shot in the head earlier this month at a residence in Spring, Texas, just north of Houston.
According to the Harris County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to a call on Sunday, August 17, at a home on Pennington Hills Drive. When they arrived, they found Prout with a gunshot wound to the head. He was transported to a nearby hospital but later died from his injuries.
Prout, a citizen of the United Kingdom, had been living in Harris County. Odonnell was identified as the homeowner.
Initial reports suggested Prout’s wound might have been self-inflicted, but investigators soon found inconsistencies. “The incident initially came in as a possible suicide, but things weren’t adding up,” the sheriff’s office said. “With thorough follow-up investigation, the truth was ultimately revealed.”
Detectives now believe the two men were taking turns shooting at each other while wearing a Kevlar helmet when Prout was fatally injured. Sheriff Ed Gonzalez commented on the case, saying, “Hard to believe two, so-called friends, would take turns shooting at each other wearing a Kevlar helmet, inside a house in a residential neighborhood, while using a rifle.”
Odonnell was previously arrested on August 21 in an unrelated DUI case. It’s unclear if he has legal representation for the murder charge. Attorney Adam Wayne Capetillo, listed in court documents for the DUI case, did not respond to requests for comment.
Jail records do not currently list Odonnell in custody, and no court date has been announced.