JUST IN: Tragic News For “Dog The Bounty Hunter” and His Family

I am so sad to have to cover this, but tragic news has hit the family of Duane “Dog the Bounty Hunter” Chapman and his wife Francie Frane.

Dog’s step-grandson was fatally shot at the age of 13-years-old.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ … Gregory Zecca — son of Dog's wife, Francie — shot his 13-year-old son Anthony in a freak accident near their apartment in Naples, Florida Saturday night. 💔

All we know: https://t.co/rUtKRqFQQd pic.twitter.com/OrT8uV1p2y

— TMZ (@TMZ) July 20, 2025

Here’s all we know so far:

• Tragic accident: On July 19, 2025, in Naples, Florida, 13‑year‑old Anthony Zecca was accidentally shot and killed by his father, Gregory Zecca, in what authorities are calling a “freak accident.”

• Immediate response: Collier County deputies were dispatched around 8:08 p.m. to an isolated incident in the apartment — no one else was involved.

• Investigation ongoing: The sheriff’s office confirmed a thorough death investigation is underway, involving witness interviews, forensic analysis, subpoenas, and search warrants; no arrests have been made.

• Who was involved: Anthony was the son of Gregory Zecca, who is Duane “Dog the Bounty Hunter” Chapman’s stepson through Chapman’s wife, Francie. Gregory is 34, part of Chapman’s bounty team, and hosts a podcast.

• Family background: Duane Chapman (age 72) and Francie (married in 2021) both experienced profound loss before finding each other — Chapman’s wife Beth died of cancer in 2019, and Francie lost her husband shortly before.

• Family statement: Chapman and Francie released a heartfelt message asking for privacy and prayers during this “incomprehensible tragic accident” as their family mourns Anthony.

• Previous references to firearms: Photos emerged showing Anthony and his father at a gun range several years ago, reflecting Gregory’s known interest in firearms — these images have since been removed.

• Chapman’s harmony and healing: The family is leaning on their shared history of loss and unity as they grieve together. Gregory had worked closely with Chapman as part of the family bounty-hunting team.

Dog the Bounty Hunter, whose real name is Duane Chapman, is mourning the tragic loss of his 13-year-old grandson, Anthony. According to TMZ, the boy was accidentally shot and killed by Chapman’s stepson, Gregory Zecca. pic.twitter.com/1pmHadYc23

— Kaddi Berry (@KaddiBerry1) July 20, 2025

Here are more details from the NY Post:

The tragedy unfolded at the Naples, Florida, apartment of Gregory Zecca — the son of Chapman’s wife, Francie Frane — on Saturday night, TMZ reported.

Zecca allegedly shot and killed his own son, Anthony, in what the family described in a statement to the outlet as a “tragic accident.”

The Collier County Sheriff’s Office confirmed to the Naples Daily News it was investigating a deadly shooting from Saturday night, calling it an “isolated incident” without identifying anyone involved.

“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,” representatives for Chapman and his family told TMZ.

Zecca — a member of Chapman’s bounty team, according to TMZ — appears to have a passion for firearms.

He took his son Anthony to a gun range in 2021, and that same year, the father-son duo visited a gun store, according to photos shared on his Instagram.

Chapman, 72, married Frane, Zecca’s mother, in 2021, shortly after their respective former spouses died.

Dog was previously married to Beth Chapman for 13 years until she died in June 2019 following a lengthy battle with throat cancer.

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In part, their families were united by their shared grief and patriotism.

“We understood the pain that the other one was feeling and [in] those tough days and moments, we helped each other stand up. We could cry with each other and talk about what we were feeling,” Frane said in a September 2020 interview with Entertainment Tonight.

Absolutely horrific.

Please send prayers for the family.

What’s your take?