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Dog the Bounty Hunter is in dire need of your thoughts and prayers.
On Sunday, we learned that the reality star’s stepson, Gregory Zecca, shot and killed his own 13-year old son, Anthony, in an incident that took place at their apartment in Naples, Florida.
TMZ was the first outlet to break this terrible news.
Police confirmed to the celebrity gossip website that they responded to a call about a shooting around 8 p.m. local time on July 19.
Authorities referred to the tragedy an “isolated incident” and said they have not made any arrests. We can’t say for certain at this time if any are forthcoming.
Dog (real name: Duane Chapman) and his wife, Francie Chapman — who is Zecca’s mother — told TMZ, through a representative:
“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.”
Francie shares Gregory with her late husband.
She got married to Chapman in 2021 after bonding over the grief of losing both of their partners to cancer, as the latter proposed to Francie just 10 months after the death of his fifth spouse, Beth.
“For a living, she’s a rancher and she recently lost her husband to cancer six months before I lost Beth Chapman so we hopped on the phone, started talking to each other, crying and consoling each other and then one thing led to another and it’s just incredible that I’ve been able to meet someone like her,” Dog shared on TMZ Live in May 2020.
“With Francie, I’m allowed to speak about Beth, we speak about her husband. We cry. We hold each other.”
Zecca, meanwhile, works with Dog on his bounty hunting team alongside Duane’s daughter, Lyssa.
Chapman is a father to 13 children total.
He shares son Christopher with Debbie White; sons Duane Lee II and Leeland with ex-wife Fonda Sue Darnell; and sons Wesley, James Robert and the late Zebadiah with ex-wife Anne Tegnell.
He is also a dad to Tucker, Lyssa and the late Barbara with ex-wife Lyssa Rae Brittain; and he shared daughters Bonnie and Cecily and son Garry with late wife Beth.
The small screen star also revealed in 2023 that he recently discovered that he fathered a son named Jon.
“As far as my gene pool, I think she would approve,” Dog said five years ago of how Beth would feel about him moving on to Francie.
“I didn’t have ranchers in my gene pool. I don’t know if Beth even knows. She’s kicking around with the angels. She’s all happy. I don’t know if she knows.”
