What started as a reckless game between two friends in Texas ended in tragedy — and now one of them is facing a murder charge.
According to the Harris County Sheriff’s Office, Sean O’Donnell, 37, and his friend Aaron Prout, 34, were inside O’Donnell’s home in Spring, Texas, on Aug. 17 when they began taking turns shooting each other in the head with a rifle while wearing Kevlar helmets.
source: Harris County Sheriff’s Office
Investigators say the bizarre stunt quickly turned fatal when Prout, a British national living in Texas, suffered a serious head wound. He was rushed to a nearby hospital but later died from his injuries.
Initially, deputies were called to the scene for what was reported as a possible suicide. However, Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez later said, “Things weren’t adding up” with that explanation.
“This is hard to believe,” Gonzalez wrote in a social media post. “Two so-called friends taking turns shooting at each other while wearing a Kevlar helmet, inside a house, in a residential neighborhood — and using a rifle.”
Authorities have not released details about what type of rifle was used or how far apart the men were standing during the incident.
O’Donnell was arrested and charged with murder. He is being held at the Harris County Jail on a $300,000 bond and is due back in court on Sept. 2. It is not yet clear if he has entered a plea or obtained legal representation.
