A moronic game with a rifle and a Kevlar helmet ended with one man dead and another behind bars, charged with his friend’s murder.
Man shoots rifle at friend wearing Kevlar helmet
Authorities announced that 37-year-old Sean Odonnell has been arrested and charged with murder following the death of his friend, 34-year-old Aaron Prout.
Prosecutors allege the pair had been taking turns wearing a Kevlar helmet and firing a rifle at each other inside a home when the fatal shot was fired.
The Harris County Sheriff’s Office said deputies were called to the 23000 block of Pennington Hills Drive in Spring, Texas on Sunday, August 17.
When first responders arrived, they discovered Prout suffering from a gunshot wound to the head.
He was quickly rushed to the hospital, but his injuries proved fatal, and he was pronounced dead shortly afterward.
Detectives initially suspected Prout’s wound might have been self-inflicted, but further investigation pointed towards a crime, after the evidence was further scrutinized.
“Incident initially came in as a possible suicide, but things weren’t adding up,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement. “With thorough follow-up investigation, the truth was ultimately revealed.”
Authorities later confirmed that Odonnell was the homeowner where the bizarre and deadly game took place.
Prout, originally from the United Kingdom, had been living in Harris County at the time of his death.
Man behind bars for shooting friend wearing Kevlar helmet
On Thursday, Odonnell was taken into custody by the Sheriff’s Violent Criminal Apprehension Team.
“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 after the arrest.
Police did not reveal how far apart the two were when the rifle was fired, or what type of rifle was used.
The department did not release details if the bullet missed went through the Kevlar helmet, or missed it entirely during the fatal shooting.
Elsewhere in Dallas, police say 21-year-old Jose Magareno was taken into custody after allegedly shooting his 19-year-old cousin, Emmanuel Najera, in what he claimed was a misguided attempt to test his relative’s reflexes.
The shooting unfolded on Monday evening at Magareno’s home during a small family gathering to celebrate Najera’s birthday.
According to investigators, Magareno handed Najera a gun after a discussion about firearms and concealed carry.
He later told police he believed he had unloaded his own weapon before pulling the trigger during the so-called “reaction time” test.
Magareno reportedly called 911 himself and told the dispatcher he had “accidentally” shot Najera in the chest.
Officers arrived at the 6300 block of Parkdale Drive and found Najera critically wounded. He was transported to a local hospital but did not survive.
After initially attempting to explain the shooting as a mistake, Magareno admitted to officers that he frequently practiced with his firearm and thought he had removed all the rounds.
He was booked into the Dallas County Detention Center early the next morning and is facing a murder charge.
Arizona man shot and dismembered friend
Meanwhile, in Arizona, new details have surfaced in the murder of 24-year-old Alijah Bradley, who went missing the day after celebrating his birthday.
Prosecutors allege Bradley’s longtime friend, 24-year-old Samuel Stephen Bush, fatally shot him before dismembering his body with a saw.
According to grand jury documents, Bradley was shot in the back on August 12, 2024.
Investigators believe Bush then bought a reciprocating saw from a hardware store and used it to dismember the body. Bradley’s remains were later dumped near Gila Bend.
Family members quickly suspected Bush after Bradley failed to make his usual daily phone call to his mother. Relatives tracked his last known phone location to Bush’s apartment.
When confronted, Bush denied knowing anything about Bradley’s disappearance.
Bradley’s car was later tracked through GPS coordinates provided by Toyota.
Bradley’s decapitated body was discovered on August 19, 2024. Bush was initially arrested on drug charges the following day before being charged with murder.
Prosecutors have since upgraded the case to first-degree murder, concealment of a body, and evidence tampering.
Authorities said the level of planning suggested a calculated crime rather than a spontaneous act of violence.
