Dog the Bounty Hunter devastated after stepson’s fatal accident claims beloved grandson

Duane "Dog" Chapman’s family is shattered by an unthinkable tragedy.

The reality TV star’s 13-year-old step-grandson was killed in a horrific accident at his own home.

And Dog the Bounty Hunter was devastated after his stepson’s fatal accident claimed his beloved grandson.

A family nightmare unfolds in Naples

The Chapman family is grappling with an incomprehensible loss after what authorities are calling a tragic accident.¹

On Saturday evening around 8 p.m., Gregory Zecca — the stepson of Duane "Dog" Chapman — accidentally shot and killed his own 13-year-old son, Anthony, at their Naples, Florida apartment.²

Sources close to the family described the incident as a "freak accident," but the details of exactly how the shooting occurred remain under investigation by the Collier County Sheriff’s Office.³

When deputies arrived at the scene, they discovered young Anthony with fatal injuries and he was pronounced dead despite emergency medical intervention.⁴

Sheriff Kevin Rambosk confirmed that no arrests have been made and the case is being treated as an "isolated incident" with no ongoing threat to the public.⁵

Heartbroken family pleads for privacy

The devastating loss has left the Chapman family struggling to process their grief.

Through a representative, Dog and his wife Francie released a heartbreaking statement that captured their anguish.

"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," the couple said.⁶

The family has requested privacy during this difficult time as they mourn the young boy who had his whole life ahead of him.

Gregory Zecca became part of the Chapman family when his mother, Francie Frane, married Dog on September 2, 2021.⁷

The couple had bonded over their shared experience of losing spouses to cancer — Dog’s late wife Beth Chapman died in June 2019 after battling throat cancer, while Francie’s husband Bob had passed away just months before Beth’s death.⁸

Gregory worked alongside Dog as part of his bounty hunting team, and social media posts from previous years showed father-son outings to gun ranges and gun stores.⁹

Investigation reveals tragic details

The Collier County Sheriff’s Office is conducting what they describe as a "thorough investigation looking into all the elements of this tragic incident."¹⁰

Sheriff Rambosk explained that investigators are "conducting a thorough investigation looking into all the elements of this tragic incident" and that "the investigation includes statements from witnesses who were at the scene, forensic testing, subpoenas, and search warrants."¹¹

Early investigative findings point to the weapon going off accidentally while inside the home during family interaction, though specific details about how Gregory came to be handling the weapon remain unclear.¹²

Law enforcement sources indicated that the shooting was unintentional and occurred within the family home on Sumter Grove Way in Naples.¹³

Once the investigation is complete, officials will forward their findings to the state attorney’s office, which will determine if any legal action is warranted.¹⁴

A family bound by tragedy and loss

This latest heartbreak adds another painful chapter to the Chapman family’s story of resilience through adversity.

Dog, now 72, became a household name in 2004 when his reality show "Dog the Bounty Hunter" premiered on A&E.¹⁵

The series followed his work as a bounty hunter alongside his late wife Beth, who became a beloved figure in her own right.

Beth’s death from throat cancer in 2019 devastated Dog, who openly struggled with the loss before finding love again with Francie.¹⁶

"I scream & Cry Beth where are you why did you leave me," Dog wrote on Instagram in April 2020, "then I look up & see you Francie & the pain turns to a smile I LOVE YOU WOMAN!!"¹⁷

The couple’s 2021 wedding represented a new beginning for both Dog and Francie, who had also lost her husband to cancer.

Francie previously told Entertainment Tonight how she and Dog helped each other through their grief: "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."¹⁸

Anthony remembered as beloved grandson

Young Anthony Zecca was clearly cherished by his extended family.

Just over a year ago, Francie posted a joyful video on Instagram showing Dog and Anthony dancing together to Usher’s hit song "Yeah!"¹⁹

"Happy Monday!!!! We had the best weekend celebrating our grandson Anthony at the @usnavyblueangels event for his birthday!!!!" she wrote in July 2024.²⁰

The post captured happier times for a family that has now been plunged into unimaginable sorrow.

Dog has weathered many storms throughout his life, from his own troubled past that included prison time as a young man to the deaths of loved ones.²¹

But the accidental death of a 13-year-old boy — particularly one killed by his own father — represents a different kind of trauma altogether.

Amid the tragic incident, the Sheriff’s Office reminded residents about the importance of firearm safety and proper storage, particularly in homes where children are present.²²

As the investigation continues, the Chapman family faces the difficult task of rebuilding their lives after this devastating accident that no family should ever have to endure.

¹ Newsweek, "Dog the Bounty Hunter’s Stepson Accidentally Shoots, Kills Son—What We Know," July 21, 2025.

² TMZ, "Dog the Bounty Hunter’s Step-Grandson Accidentally Shot and Killed by Father," July 20, 2025.

³ Ibid.

⁴ Editorial GE, "Dog the Bounty Hunter’s Stepson Accidentally Kills 13-Year-Old Son," July 21, 2025.

⁵ People, "Collier County Sheriff Says No Arrest Has Been Made in Fatal Shooting of Dog the Bounty Hunter’s 13-Year-Old Stepgrandson," July 21, 2025.

⁶ TMZ, "Dog the Bounty Hunter’s Step-Grandson Accidentally Shot and Killed by Father," July 20, 2025.

⁷ E! Online, "How Dog the Bounty Hunter Found Love Again With Francie Frane After Beth Chapman’s Death," September 3, 2021.

⁸ Newsweek, "Who Is Francie Frane? Dog the Bounty Hunter Wedding Date Announced," August 12, 2021.

⁹ Page Six, as reported by The Daily Caller, "Dog The Bounty Hunter Mourns After Step-Grandson Killed By His Own Father," July 21, 2025.

¹⁰ People, "Collier County Sheriff Says No Arrest Has Been Made in Fatal Shooting of Dog the Bounty Hunter’s 13-Year-Old Stepgrandson," July 21, 2025.

¹¹ Ibid.

¹² Editorial GE, "Dog the Bounty Hunter’s Stepson Accidentally Kills 13-Year-Old Son," July 21, 2025.

¹³ Ibid.

¹⁴ Inquisitr News, "Cops Give Arrest Update On Fatal Shooting of Dog the Bounty Hunter’s 13-Year-Old Stepgrandson," July 21, 2025.

¹⁵ Wikipedia, "Duane Chapman," accessed July 21, 2025.

¹⁶ The List, "Details Revealed About Dog The Bounty Hunter’s 6 Marriages," March 7, 2025.

¹⁷ E! Online, "How Dog the Bounty Hunter Found Love Again With Francie Frane After Beth Chapman’s Death," September 3, 2021.

¹⁸ Ibid.

¹⁹ Newsweek, "Dog the Bounty Hunter’s Stepson Accidentally Shoots, Kills Son—What We Know," July 21, 2025.

²⁰ Ibid.

²¹ Wikipedia, "Duane Chapman," accessed July 21, 2025.

²² Inquisitr News, "Cops Give Arrest Update On Fatal Shooting of Dog the Bounty Hunter’s 13-Year-Old Stepgrandson," July 21, 2025.