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Duane Chapman, known as Dog the Bounty Hunter, has a stepson named Gregory Zecca who has been placed under a psychiatric hold after unintentionally causing the death of his 13-year-old son.
At 38 years old, Gregory was admitted for a 5150 psychiatric evaluation due to fears he might harm himself following this heartbreaking incident, as reported by TMZ.
The family’s spokesperson explained that Gregory’s mental health crisis is a result of mourning his son Anthony’s death and is not tied to guilt over any wrongdoing, as the incident was a tragic mishap.
They added that Gregory hasn’t been able to speak with family or police yet due to being heavily sedated.
Anthony was accidentally shot and killed by Gregory — who is the son of Chapman’s wife Francie — at their family apartment in Naples on Saturday evening.
Anthony’s fatal gunshot wound was on his neck, just above his sternum, with no exit wound, per a police report from the Collier County Sheriff’s Office in Florida obtained by DailyMail.com.
Dog the Bounty Hunter star Duane Chapman’s stepson, Gregory Zecca, 38, has been put on a psychiatric hold after accidentally fatally shooting his thirteen-year-old son Anthony
He was placed on a 5150 hold amid concerns he might try to take his own life, as per TMZ; Dog the Bounty Hunter star Duane Chapman seen with wife Francie, her son Gregory, and Anthony
Law enforcement said Anthony had lost a huge amount of blood by the time they arrived at the scene — with the teenager receiving CPR, chest compressions and a chest seal in an ultimately futile bid to save his life.
Deputies were dispatched at 8:08 p.m. ET to the scene — with Zecca pronounced dead at 8:21 p.m. ET.
The firearm used in the shooting was on the kitchen island when deputies arrived.
A spokesman for the The Collier County Sheriff’s Office told DailyMail.com in a statement: ‘The call came into our dispatch at 8:08 p.m. This was an isolated incident.
‘Our detectives are conducting a thorough investigation looking into all the elements of this tragic incident.
‘The investigation includes statements from witnesses who were at the scene, forensic testing, subpoenas, and search warrants.
Gregory — who is Francie’s son from a previous marriage — reportedly collaborates with his stepfather Duane on his bounty hunting team.
He is notably a gun enthusiast. Back in 2021, he proudly shared photos of himself and his late son ‘getting some range time in’ with their rifles.
The family’s rep clarified that the psychiatric hold stems from grief of losing his son Anthony, and not him feeling guilty of a crime in regards to the shooting, which was a ‘freak accident’
Anthony was accidentally shot and killed by Gregory – who is the son of Chapman’s wife Francie – at their family apartment in Naples on Saturday evening; Anthony seen in 2021
Zecca’s fatal gunshot wound was on his neck, just above his sternum, with no exit wound, per a police report from the Collier County Sheriff’s Office in Florida obtained by DailyMail.com
Notably, Chapman’s son is a gun enthusiast. Back in 2021, he proudly shared photos of himself and his late son ‘getting some range time in’ with their rifles
Despite the horrific nature of Anthony’s death, local law enforcement is calling the freak accident an ‘isolated incident,’ and no arrests have been made
Gregory has now disabled his social media accounts.
Duane and Francie, 56, who is his sixth wife, addressed the terrible loss in a statement.
They shared: ‘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.’
DailyMail.com requested comment from Duane’s representative but hasn’t yet received a response.
Last year, Anthony spent the summer with his grandparents and told a story about how he felt the wind of the Holy Spirit while visiting his ‘Meemaw’ in the hospital ER in 2023 after she injured her ankle.
Anthony and Duane sat on a bench in the waiting room when he suddenly felt a gush of cold wind blowing in from outside even though it was a warm, rainy day.
‘When we’re walking to her room I feel the wind again but from a different direction. When it first came, it hit me [on my chest]. But when it came again, it hit me from the back,’ the Christian child marveled.
‘And I’m wondering what is this? Because the doors didn’t open this time, so why am I getting hit by wind? [It was] the Holy Spirit. And I asked Meemaw and she said, “It was the Holy Spirit.”‘
Zecca — who is Francie’s son from a prior marriage — reportedly collaborates with his stepfather Duane on his bounty hunting team
Francie had been feeling miserable but ‘after X-rays and after we prayed, we go back into the room and she’s just fine. She said, “This don’t even hurt anymore.” And it turned out to not be broken.’
Aside from artillery and Jesus, little Anthony also enjoyed dancing to Usher and attending local Comic Con conventions where he posed with Predator.
The Chapmans — who began dating in 2020 — first bonded over their shared grief about being widowed.
Duane suffered the loss of his fifth wife Beth Smith in 2019 to stage II throat cancer and Francie suffered the loss of her husband Bob Frane in 2018.
‘We understood the pain that the other one was feeling, and [in] those tough days and moments, we helped each other stand up,’ she told ET 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.’
The mourning couple will celebrate their fourth wedding anniversary on September 2.
