Anish Vij
Duane 'Dog the Bounty Hunter' Chapman's step-grandson was accidentally shot and killed by his father in a tragic incident, according to a report.
The shooting occurred Saturday night (19 July) at the Naples, Florida, apartment of Gregory Zecca, the son of Chapman’s wife, Francie Frane, TMZ reports.
Zecca was said to have accidentally shot his son, Anthony, in what the family called a 'tragic accident'
The Collier County Sheriff’s Office told the Naples Daily News it was looking into an 'isolated incident' with regards to a shooting on Saturday night.
They were not able to confirm whether that shooting involved Dog the Bounty Hunter's step-grandson, adding that no arrests were made.
“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,” a spokesperson for Chapman and his wife told TMZ.
The outlet reports that Zecca was a member of Chapman’s bounty team and took his son, aged 13, to a shooting range in 2021, according to photos on Instagram.
Zecca is Frane’s son from a previous marriage. Frane and Chapman tied the knot in 2021 after having lost each of their spouse, growing a connection grew through mutual grief.
“We understood the pain that the other one was feeling and [in] those tough days and moments, we helped each other stand up,” Frane said to Entertainment Tonight back in 2020.
“We could cry with each other and talk about what we were feeling. We were able to walk alongside each other through the pain and heartbreak and it brought us together in this amazing way.”
Frane and her family, including Zecca, were said to have quickly embraced Chapman’s way of life.
The well-known American bounty hunter and bail bondsman rose to fame after capturing fugitive rapist Andrew Luster in 2003. It led to his own reality TV series Dog the Bounty Hunter, which aired from 2004 to 2012.
“I know she’s a hunter. Her and her two sons have hunted bow hunt, so they track, they look for things that the prey leaves behind,” Chapman said of his wife on The Dr. Oz Show in 2020.
“She just fit right in. She started getting leads and writing them down, so there’s more than just tracking and hunting.”
Chapman has 13 children with six women - four of whom he has been married to.
LADbible Group has contacted Duane 'Dog the Bounty Hunter' Chapman's representatives for comment.