Background: News footage of Omarion Horne at his arraignment on Oct. 10 (WLWT). Inset: Rachel Counts (Wilson Mortuary).
An Ohio man was charged with murder after prosecutors said he shot his friend in the chest while suggesting they “play Russian roulette.”
Omarion Horne, 23, faced his arraignment in court on Friday after being charged with the murder of 23-year-old Rachel Counts. As detailed by a press release from the Cincinnati Police Department, emergency services responded to shooting reports on the evening of October 5. Upon arrival, first responders found Counts suffering from a gunshot wound and she was pronounced dead at the location.
Horne was taken into custody the day following the incident. During his court appearance on Friday, prosecutors informed the judge that the defendant had proposed the dangerous game of “Russian roulette” to his friends.
According to WLWT, a local NBC station, prosecutors stated that Horne, Counts, and their partners were engaged in a card game at a residence in Cincinnati’s Winton Hills neighborhood. At some point, Horne allegedly brought out a firearm, removed all but one round, and suggested playing “Russian roulette.”
The prosecutors explained that Horne initially aimed the gun at his own head and then reportedly pointed it at Counts, pulling the trigger. The shot proved deadly, striking Counts in the chest.
WLWT noted that during the arraignment, Judge William Mallory commented, “It’s tragic when firearms are treated as toys, because if these allegations are correct, this situation is indeed a tragedy.”
Mallory set Horne’s bail at $1 million. Horne is currently in custody at the Hamilton County Jail. His next court date is scheduled for Oct. 16.
