HARRIS COUNTY, TX – A bizarre and deadly incident that began as an apparent suicide has led to murder charges after investigators uncovered a disturbing truth: two men had allegedly been taking turns shooting at each other with a rifle while one wore a Kevlar helmet—inside a home in a quiet suburban neighborhood.
The incident unfolded on August 17 around the 23700 block of Pennington Hills Drive, where Harris County Precinct 4 deputies responded to a report of a shooting. They arrived to find 34-year-old Aaron Prout, a UK native living in Harris County, suffering from a gunshot wound to the head.
Prout was rushed to a hospital, but he later died from his injuries.
The case initially appeared to be a suicide, but inconsistencies in the scene prompted homicide detectives to dig deeper. What they uncovered led to Thursday’s arrest of 37-year-old Sean Odonnell, the homeowner, who now faces a murder charge in connection with Prout’s death.
Investigators say the two men, who considered themselves friends, had been recklessly firing a rifle at each other while testing a ballistic helmet. The fatal round, fired from inside the home, struck Prout and ended the deadly stunt.
Odonnell was taken into custody with help from the Violent Crimes Apprehension Team and is being held in the Harris County Jail. Detectives credited CSI and investigative teams for spotting key details that challenged the initial assumption of suicide and uncovered what they now believe was a fatal misuse of a firearm.
Key Points
- Man charged with murder after friend killed during Kevlar helmet shooting stunt
- Victim Aaron Prout, 34, was shot in the head inside a Harris County home
- Detectives originally suspected suicide but later determined it was a fatal game
A supposed dare between friends turned deadly in a Houston-area home, ending with one man dead and the other behind bars.