A 37-year-old man in Texas has been arrested for killing his 34-year-old friend while the two men allegedly took turns wearing Kevlar helmets and shooting each other in the head with rifles. Sean Odonnell was arrested on Thursday and charged with one count of murder in the death of Aaron Prout earlier this month, authorities said.
According to a news release from the Harris County Sheriff’s Office, on Sunday, August 17, deputies from Precinct 4 responded to a call at a home in the 23000 block of Pennington Hills Drive in Spring, Texas, about 225 miles southeast of Dallas.
At the scene, first responders said they found a man later identified as Prout, who had been shot in the head. Emergency medical personnel arrived on the scene and took the victim to the hospital for treatment. Prout succumbed to his injuries and was declared dead.
According to the sheriff’s office, Prout was a United Kingdom citizen who had been living in Harris County. The home’s owner was named Odonnell.
Sheriff’s detectives initially believed Prout’s fatal gunshot wound was self-inflicted. Authorities did not say what, if anything, Odonnell told investigators about Prout’s death, but seemingly contradictory evidence was discovered, leading police in a different direction.
“Incident initially came in as a possible suicide, but things weren’t adding up,” according to the statement. “With thorough follow-up investigation, the truth was ultimately revealed.”
The sheriff’s Violent Criminal Apprehension Team (VCAT) assisted in Odonnell’s arrest, according to police.
“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,” Harris County Sheriff Ed Harris said in a statement following the arrest.
It was not immediately clear whether Odonnell had hired an attorney to represent him in this matter. However, records show that Odonnell was arrested on August 21 and charged with driving while intoxicated. Law&Crime contacted attorney Adam Wayne Capetillo, who is listed in court documents as representing Odonnell in that case, but did not receive an immediate response.
Jail records do not show Odonnell in custody, and it was unclear when he was scheduled to appear in court.
