Duane Chapman's stepson, Gregory Zecca, has been placed on psychiatric hold after a tragic accident saw the 38-year-old fatally shoot his son, Anthony.
As per TMZ, Gregory is under around-the-clock care and has not spoken to authorities due to being heavily sedated.
Gone too soon
© InstagramThe tragic incident reportedly occurred on Saturday night when Gregory accidentally shot and killed the 13-year-old in his Florida apartment. Gregory is the son of Duane's wife, Francie, and has joined the Dog the Bounty Hunter star on the hit show on numerous occasions.
A representative of the family shared in a statement that his psychiatric hold was due to the immense grief of losing his son, adding that he was grappling with the "freak accident".
Duane and Francie also shared a statement in the wake of Anthony's death, asking for privacy as they navigated their grief.
© WireImage"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," they said.
The Collier County Sheriff's Office shared insight into the devastating accident. "The call came into our dispatch at 8:08 pm. This was an isolated incident," they explained.
"Our detectives are conducting a thorough investigation and 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."
Steadfast support
© InstagramDuane and Francie are no strangers to heartbreak, with both experiencing unimaginable loss throughout their lives. The TV personality's fifth wife, Beth Smith, passed away in 2019 after a long battle with throat cancer, while Francie's husband Bob Frane left her a widow 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 shared with Entertainment Tonight.
"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."
© InstagramDuane expanded on their connection in an interview with TMZ Live. "For a living, she's a rancher and she recently lost her husband to cancer six months before I lost Beth Chapman, so we hopped on the phone, started talking to each other, crying and consoling each other and then one thing led to another and it's just incredible that I've been able to meet someone like her," he said.
"With Francie, I'm allowed to speak about Beth, we speak about her husband. We cry. We hold each other."
The 72-year-old has welcomed 13 children, with two tragically passing away unexpectedly. His daughter Barbara died in a car crash in 2006, while his son Zebadiah died one month after his birth in 1980.
Duane is also a father to Christopher, Duane Lee II, Leland, Wesley, James Robert, Tucker, Lyssa, Bonnie, Cecily, and Garry, and discovered that he was a father to another son, Jon, in 2023.
