Dog the Bounty Hunter's Family Nightmare: TV Star's Stepson Placed On Psychiatric Hold After Fatally Shooting His Own Son, 13, In 'Freak Accident'
Dog the Bounty Hunter's stepson, Gregory Zecca, is now in a psychiatric hold after killing his son.
July 22 2025, Published 1:45 p.m. ET
Dog the Bounty Hunter's stepson, Gregory Zecca, has now been put on a psychiatric hold after he accidentally shot and killed his teen son, Anthony, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
According to reports, the 38-year-old was placed on a 5150 psychiatric hold, meaning he was involuntarily detained for 72 hours, as the family's rep confirmed the decision was made due to Zecca's grief following the shooting, and not because of possibly feeling guilty over the crime, which was described as a "freak accident."
A Family's Grief
Dog's stepson, Zecca, accidentally killed his son, Anthony – seen here with his grandmother, Francie.
The rep also added Zecca has been unable to speak with his family or investigators due to being heavily sedated. The shooting occurred at Zecca's Naples, Florida, apartment on Saturday, July 19. The Collier County Sheriff's Office revealed the young boy's fatal gunshot wound was on his neck, with no exit wound.
"The Collier County Sheriff’s Office is conducting a death investigation in connection with a shooting incident on Sumter Grove Way in Naples on Saturday," a spokesperson told RadarOnline.com.
"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 statement concluded: "The investigation includes statements from witnesses who were at the scene, forensic testing, subpoenas, and search warrants."
The family expressed their shock in a heartbreaking statement.
Following the tragic incident, the reality star's family also expressed their shock in a statement: "Dog the Bounty Hunter and Francie 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.
"We understood the pain that the other one was feeling and (in) those tough days and moments, we helped each other stand up, Franchie said of their bond. "We could cry with each other and talk about what we were feeling… It brought us together in this amazing way."
Zecca's Instagram account, which appeared to be deactivated following the incident, revealed the time when he and Anthony, then 9 years old, spent time at a gun range.
He also brought Anthony to Franktown Firearms Shooting Center in Franktown, Colorado, in 2021 to practice shooting a rifle.
Gun Range Nightmares
'We grieve the loss of our beloved grandson, Anthony,' the family said following the incident.
"Getting some range time in with our buddies @franktownfirearms," Zecca, a bounty hunter just like his famous stepdad, captioned at the time alongside snaps from the day, including one of the young boy holding a large gun.
Dog, whose real name is Duane Chapman, became Zecca's stepdad after tying the knot with wife Francie, his sixth wife. The TV star married Francie after he lost his fifth spouse, Beth, to stage 2 throat cancer in 2019.
Just a year prior, Franchie was left a widow as well, after her late husband, Bob Frane, died. The couple made clear how their major losses allowed them to bond and create a beautiful relationship.
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Dog's family has already seen plenty of loss, as he lost his fourth wife, Beth, to cancer in 2019.
"We understood the pain that the other one was feeling and (in) those tough days and moments, we helped each other stand up, Franchie said. "We could cry with each other and talk about what we were feeling… It brought us together in this amazing way."
