The family of Dog the Bounty Hunter have expressed their sorrow after the reality TV star's 13-year-old step-grandson was reportedly shot and killed in a 'tragic accident.'
The grandson of Dog the Bounty Hunter's wife was reportedly shot and killed in Florida over the weekend, and there has been a statement from the family offering their condolences and paying tribute to the boy's memory.
Dog the Bounty Hunter gained fame for the TV show bearing his name in which family members often appeared, but sadly, his latest family update has been this incredibly tragic news.
Reports warned of an 'isolated incident' involving the reality TV show star's step-grandson in Florida, noting that nobody had yet been arrested, but that police were investigating the matter to determine exactly what happened.
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Who is Dog the Bounty Hunter?
His real name is Duane Chapman and he's a reality TV star. Back in the 70s, he was convicted of the murder of Jerry Bowers Oliver, having been found culpable for it as he waited outside the victim's house while another man pulled the trigger.
Chapman's involvement in this murder resulted in him being prevented from entering the UK.
He was sentenced to five years in prison and spent 18 months of that behind bars, and claimed that while locked up, he stopped an inmate who was about to try and escape, resulting in them not being shot.
He claimed this inspired him to become a bounty hunter, someone who tracks down and captures fugitives for money.
Chapman eventually got featured on a TV show about people with unusual jobs and was given his own show, Dog the Bounty Hunter, in which he and his team track down people who aren't meeting their bail conditions.
Who is Duane Chapman married to?
Duane Chapman has been married six times, tying the knot with Francie Frane in 2021 two years after the death of his previous spouse, Beth.
Beth often accompanied Duane on his Dog the Bounty Hunter episodes and was featured in other spin-offs as well.
Both Chapman and Frane had lost their spouses to cancer, and she told Entertainment Tonight that they'd first connected after Chapman tried calling her late husband Bob to hire him for some work having not heard that he'd died.
Frane said she agreed to go on a date with Chapman if he came to her church and they officially announced their relationship in April 2020 on social media.
How many kids do they have?
Chapman has no children with his current wife, but has 13 children by six different women in total, some of them have featured on Dog the Bounty Hunter, while others live more private lives.
A couple of years ago, Chapman posted that he'd 'discovered' he had another son named Jon, who shared a birthday with the day that his wife Beth had died.
He wrote: "For the last four years, this day was a terrible reminder of one of the greatest losses of my life.
"But God redeemed this day when I discovered my son Jon, who I just met recently, was born on this day.
"So now instead of sorrow, this day has a new meaning."
What happened to his step-grandson?
TMZ is reporting that Gregory Zecca, the son of Duane Chapman's current wife Francie Frane and therefore Chapman's stepson, accidentally shot his own son Anthony.
The shooting occurred on 19 July at Zecca's Florida apartment with the Collier County Sheriff’s Office saying they were investigating an 'isolated incident.'
They said that no arrests had been made and did not confirm whether the shooting involved Duane Chapman's step-grandson.
However, a spokesperson for Champan and Frane did provide a statement indicating that the 13-year-old boy had been killed.
They said: "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."
LADbible Group has contacted Duane 'Dog the Bounty Hunter' Chapman's representatives for comment.
Topics: Celebrity, US News, Crime, TV and Film, Parenting
Joe Harker