Warning: This article contains discussion of suicide which some readers may find distressing.
On 19 July 2025, Dog the Bounty Hunter’s step-grandson, Anthony, was shot and killed.
And now the 13-year-old boy’s father, Gregory Zecca, has been arrested for allegedly shooting him.
He was charged with aggravated manslaughter of a child with a firearm and using a firearm while under the influence following the incident at a Florida apartment.
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At the time, the shooting of Duane ‘Dog the Bounty Hunter’ Chapman’s step-grandson was reported as accidental.
Zecca is said to have been drinking heavily throughout the day and allegedly went on to ingest marijuana while at a UFC watch party with his son at a friend’s place.
Here, the father is said to have brandished his firearm near Anthony several times, including ‘practicing drawing it from his waistband and dry-firing’ with no magazine in the chamber.
However, at some point it was inserted back into it and police say Zecca ‘discharged a single shot, fatally striking’ the young boy.
“This was a heartbreaking and preventable tragedy,” Collier County 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.”
When emergency responders arrived, the smell of alcohol on the man’s breath was noticed and search warrants were gained for medical records and a blood draw.
Then, a ‘toxicology expert estimated Zecca’s blood-alcohol concentration to be approximately 0.116 at the time of the shooting’.
The legal limit in Florida is 0.08 with the toxicologist concluding that the man was ‘impaired by alcohol’.
By the time responders arrived at the scene, the boy had lost ‘large amounts of blood’ and they were unable to save him.
“This case underscores that devastating tragedy that can result from mixing firearms, alcohol and drugs,” the sheriff continued.
“Our hearts are with everyone affected by this loss.”
While it is unclear if he was since discharged, Zecca was placed on a psychiatric hold following the shooting.
A family rep confirmed to TMZ at the time that he would be monitored with ‘extreme caution over fears he may try to take his own life’.
This was due to him being ‘stricken by grief and not because he feels guilty of a crime in relation to the shooting’.
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, please don’t suffer alone. Call Samaritans for free on their anonymous 24-hour phone line on 116 123.
Jess Battison