Entertainment
Prayers Pour In For ‘Dog The Bounty Hunter’ After Tragic Shooting
Friends, fans, and family of Dog the Bounty Hunter are grieving after the accidental death of his step-grandson last week — at the hands of his own father, no less.
The stepson of Duane Chapman, best known for his role chasing down fugitives on the lam in his eponymous hit reality TV show, shot and killed the star’s step-grandson on Saturday night in a tragedy that authorities are calling an accidental shooting.
The young man’s death occurred at the Chapman family home in Naples, Florida, according to TMZ.
Gregory Zecca, the son of Chapman’s current wife, Francie, reportedly shot and killed his own son, Anthony, while mishandling a firearm. Details about the incident remain murky.
The paparazzi website quoted investigators who say it “was an accidental shooting” and a “freak accident.”
“Law enforcement confirms to us they responded to a call about a shooting around 8 p.m. ET. They haven’t made any arrests and call this an ‘isolated incident.’ The investigation is ongoing,” TMZ reported.
No further details about the shooting have been released by the media, family, or authorities.
Chapman married Francie in 2021, making Zecca his stepson and Anthony his step-grandson. Both Chapman and Francie lost their previous spouses.
Beth Chapman, Chapman’s previous wife and sidekick in his show since 2006, died in 2019 as a result of complications stemming from metastatic throat cancer.
“It was God using us to change people’s lives. It was this love story that God brought us together,” Francie told the Naples Daily News in 2023 about her marriage to Chapman.
Chasing outlaws is still a family business. Gregory works with the bounty-hunting team, as does Lyssa, Chapman’s daughter from a previous marriage.
“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,” the family said in a statement.
Chapman found minor fame while hosting “Take This Job,” the A&E show exploring the unusual professions of guest participants. His transformation from convicted drug dealer and murderer to reality TV star captivated audiences who flocked to the show just to hear his surprise at seeing how others made their livings.
He told Fox News in 2011 that it’s ironic how serving prison time led him to Hollywood.
“While I was in prison, I became the warden’s barber, so that means all the guards were my friends. One guy went to break and run one day, an inmate, and I jumped him and just — the guards were going to shoot him in the back,” he said.
“And as the guard walked up when I was on top of the inmate apprehending him, and he threw down the handcuffs and said, ‘Hook him up, bounty hunter.’ … That is what started the career.”
“Dog the Bounty Hunter” ran from 2009 to 2012, although subsequent spinoffs through 2019 continued to keep the fugitive-chasing family in the public eye.
In addition to his stepson with Francie, the 72-year-old Chapman has 13 children, the Western Journal reports.