A man has been accused of murdering his friend after the two were reportedly engaged in reckless behavior involving firearms.
Sean O’Donnell faces charges in the death of Aaron Prout, 34, after a dangerous game in which they shot at each other’s heads using rifles while donning bullet-resistant helmets.
Authorities reported that 37-year-old O’Donnell was arrested at his Houston residence on August 17 concerning the fatal incident involving Prout, a UK native.
The Harris County Sheriff’s Office stated that the men were inside O’Donnell’s home when Prout received life-threatening injuries from a rifle, resulting in his transport to a nearby hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.
The exact cause of Prout’s death remains unclear, as the helmets worn were not designed to guarantee full protection (via news.com.au).
Sheriff Ed Gonzalez indicated that the incident was initially treated as a ‘possible suicide’, but a ‘thorough investigation’ later ruled out this theory.
O’Donnell was officially charged with the alleged murder of Prout on August 28 and was taken to the Harris County Jail, with assistance from the Violent Crimes Apprehension Team (VCAT) during his arrest.
During a court session on Sunday (August 31), a Harris County judge stated that O’Donnell and Prout had been ‘playing with guns’, noting (via ABC13): “They were drinking. They were shooting at a Kevlar helmet.”
“They were holding it above their heads until the complainant ended up with a bullet hole in the top of his head.”
O’Donnell is also accused of attempting to mislead authorities by stating that Prout ‘shot himself’. The judge mentioned: “The defendant is alleged to have told the police that he shot himself but there are witnesses who have video that the defendant and complainant sent of that them playing with the gun and shooting with the helmet back and forth and these friends told them to stop.”
The judge continued: “We are in a situation here where this is a real danger to the community because the defendant gets intoxicated and uses weapons irresponsibly.”
Sheriff Gonzalez also commented on X (formerly Twitter): “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.”
As reported by ABC13, O’Donnell remains detained, with bail set at $3,000.
Inquiries were made to the Harris County Sheriff’s office for further comments.