Friends take turns shooting each other in helmet, then one dies, TX sheriff says
A man in Houston and a friend took turns shooting each other while wearing a helmet, authorities said. Now one is charged with murder.
Authorities were called about a possible suicide on Aug. 17 at a home in northwest Harris County, Texas, Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said in a statement posted to X.
“Upon arrival, units found an adult male who sustained what appeared to be a gunshot wound to the head. He was transported to a hospital, but subsequently died from his injuries,” Gonzalez said in the post.
Gonzalez said “things weren’t adding up” as detectives investigated further and that the “truth was ultimately revealed.”
The victim, 34-year-old Aaron Prout, and suspect, 37-year-old Sean Odonnell, had been taking turns shooting at each other while wearing a helmet when Prout was fatally shot, authorities said. Odonnell was taken into custody on Aug. 28 and charged with murder.
“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,” Gonzalez said.
Odonnell was booked in the Harris County Jail.
This story was originally published August 29, 2025 at 11:56 AM with the headline "Friends take turns shooting each other in helmet, then one dies, TX sheriff says."