SPRING, Texas — A Texas man is facing a murder charge after allegedly killing his friend during a dangerous game involving a firearm.

Harris County authorities said 37-year-old Sean Odonnell and 34-year-old Aaron Prout, a British national living in Texas, were reportedly taking turns shooting at each other with a rifle while wearing a Kevlar helmet inside a home on Pennington Hills Drive in Spring, roughly 30 miles north of downtown Houston.

Deputies responded on August 17 to a call initially reported as a possible suicide. Upon arrival, they found Prout suffering from a gunshot wound to the head. He was transported to a hospital but was pronounced dead.

Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said the circumstances were “hard to believe” and that the suicide explanation did not align with evidence. Following an investigation, Odonnell was charged with murder on Thursday, August 28, and booked into the Harris County Jail.

Odonnell is being held on a $300,000 bond and is scheduled to appear before a judge on September 2. Court records do not indicate whether he has entered a plea or retained an attorney.

Authorities continue to investigate the unusual and tragic circumstances that led to the death of Prout, highlighting the dangers of handling firearms recklessly, even among friends.