On The Loose: Lady Gaga Dog Walker Shooting Suspect Mistakenly Freed From Jail
April 8 2022, Published 1:48 p.m. ET
The man accused of shooting Lady Gaga's dog walker, Ryan Fischer, has mistakenly been freed from jail and "deputies are now on an all-out manhunt" to bring him back into police custody.
James Howard Jackson, 18, was released Wednesday "due to a clerical error," a statement from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department confirmed.
"The investigation is continuing and the LASD Major Crimes Bureau is actively working to get Mr. Jackson back in custody," it continued, describing Jackson's release as "inadvertent."
Fischer was shot in the chest by dognappers who stole the A Star Is Born actress' beloved French Bulldogs in February 2021. One of her pets ran away during the attack and was later retrieved and her other dogs were returned two days after the incident.
Last April, Jackson, along with Jaylin White, 19, and Lafayette Whaley, 27, were each charged with one count of attempted murder, conspiracy to commit robbery and second-degree robbery. Jackson was also charged with assault with a semiautomatic firearm and a felon carrying a concealed firearm in a vehicle.
The three men were among five initially charged for their alleged roles in the shooting of Fischer. All suspects pleaded not guilty.
Fischer later underwent multiple surgeries to repair a collapsed lung after being shot in the chest.
Never Miss an
Daily updates from the heart of Hollywood, right to your inbox
By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you’re agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
During a follow-up interview on CBS Mornings, he revealed how events unfolded that scary evening and thanked Gaga for helping him throughout his healing process.
"I was scared, I was in pain. I had a feeling, when they came up [and] pulled the gun on me that I was going to end up being shot, cause in my mind I was like, 'There's no way that I'm not going to fight for these dogs,'" the dog walker explained, adding, "Some days are great, some weeks are not. And that's been the big up and down the last couple of months."
Fischer then gushed over Gaga, stating, "She's been a friend for me and after I was attacked, my family was flown out and I had trauma therapists flown to me and I stayed at her house for months while friends comforted me and security was around me."
