Dog the Bounty Hunter’s Stepson Arrested After Fatally Shooting His Teen Son
What To Know
- Duane Chapman’s stepson has been charged with aggravated manslaughter after fatally shooting his 13-year-old son.
- Authorities say Zecca had been drinking and using drugs before the incident, and accidentally discharged his firearm.
- If found guilty in court he could face life in prison,
Duane “Dog the Bounty Hunter” Chapman’s stepson, Gregory Zecca, was arrested on Tuesday (February 3) after a six-month-long investigation into the death of his 13-year-old son, Anthony.
Florida’s Collier County Sheriff’s Office provided an update on Facebook, stating that Zecca accidentally shot his child while under the influence of alcohol and marijuana. He has been charged with aggravated manslaughter of a child with a firearm and using a firearm while under the influence.
The police investigation found that Zecca allegedly “consumed alcohol over several hours at a local establishment, purchased more alcohol, and later used both alcohol and marijuana at a friend’s residence.”
While watching a UFC event at a friend’s apartment in Naples, Florida, Zecca is said to have brandished his firearm near his son several times, including “practicing drawing it from his waistband and dry-firing” (meaning there was no magazine in the chamber).
The magazine was later inserted back into the chamber before Zecca “discharged a single shot, fatally striking” Anthony. When deputies arrived at the scene, they “detected the odor of alcohol on Zecca and observed marijuana in plain view.”
A toxicology report estimated Zecca’s “blood-alcohol concentration to be approximately 0.116 at the time of the shooting, above Florida’s legal limit of 0.08.”
After the fatal shooting, Zecca was placed on a psychiatric hold as his family worried me may try to harm himself.
“This was a heartbreaking and preventable tragedy,” Sheriff Kevin Rambosk said. “Our detectives conducted an exhaustive and thorough investigation, examining every element of what happened through witness statements, forensic testing, subpoenas, search warrants, and more. I commend their hard work and professionalism in uncovering the facts in an incredibly difficult case.”
At the time of the death, Chapman shared a statement with TMZ, saying, “We are grieving as a family over this incomprehensible tragic accident and would ask for continued prayers as we grieve the loss of our beloved grandson, Anthony.”
Chapman is married to Zecca’s mother, Francie Frane. The pair tied the knot in 2021, after both lost their respective spouses to cancer.
The reality star has 13 other children with six different women. His youngest son, police officer Garry Chapman, was involved in a high-speed chase that resulted in the death of 17-year-old Tristan Hollis last year.
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