Dog the Bounty Hunter’s stepson was arrested on Tuesday and charged with aggravated manslaughter in the shooting death of his 13-year-old son at a Florida home last summer.
The Collier County Sheriff’s Office said that Gregory Anthony Zecca, 39, was drunk when he shot the boy on July 19, 2025.
“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.”
Investigators say that Zecca had been drinking at a local establishment and then bought more alcohol. Then, both he and the boy drank alcohol and used marijuana at a friend’s home while they watched a UFC fight on television. While they watched, Zecca repeatedly toyed with a firearm in the boy’s presence, frequently pulling it from his waistband and “dry-firing.”
At first, the gun had no magazine and a live round had been cleared from the chamber, but the magazine was reinserted and a round chambered. Then Zecca fired a single shot, killing his son. The sheriff’s office did not say who reloaded the weapon.
Detectives arrived on the scene and smelled alcohol on Zecca and saw marijuana “in plain view.” They obtained search warrants for a blood draw, which showed his blood-alcohol content to be 0.116 at the time of the shooting, well above Florida’s legal imit of 0.08.
“This case underscores that devastating tragedy that can result from mixing firearms, alcohol and drugs,” Rambosk said. “Our hearts are with everyone affected by this loss.”
Zecca is the son of Francie Chapman, Dog the Bounty Hunter’s wife, from a previous marriage. Dog’s real name is Duane Chapman.
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[Featured image: Gregory Zecca/Collier County Sheriff’s Office]