Dog the Bounty Hunter Weeps in Court Over Tragedy

However, investigators allege that 'at some point, the magazine was reinserted and a round chambered, and Gregory discharged a single shot, fatally striking the child.'

When sheriff's deputies arrived at the scene around 8 p.m., they noted that Zecca smelled of alcohol and observed marijuana nearby. Detectives later obtained search warrants for his medical records and a blood draw.

A toxicology expert independently tested both samples and estimated that Zecca's blood alcohol level at the time of the shooting was approximately 0.116 - nearly twice the legal limit for driving.

'This case underscores that devastating tragedy that can result from mixing firearms, alcohol and drugs,' Sheriff Rambosk said. 'Our hearts are with everyone affected by this loss.'

Despite the charges, Chapman's attorney Joseph Lesniak described the case as a 'devastating family tragedy.'

'We believe Greg loved his son deeply and that this was a tragic accident — one that has left many lives permanently changed, especially Anthony's and Greg's,' Lesniak said.

Court records and social media posts show that Zecca had previously taught his son how to use firearms.

In 2021, when Anthony was just nine years old, Zecca shared images from Franktown Firearms Shooting Center in Franktown, Colorado.

'Getting some range time in with our buddies @franktownfirearms,' Zecca wrote on Instagram at the time.

Anthony was also remembered by family members for his strong faith.

In 2023, he shared a story about feeling what he described as the Holy Spirit while visiting his grandmother, whom he called 'Meemaw', in a hospital emergency room after she injured her ankle.

Anthony recalled feeling a sudden rush of cold wind despite the warm, rainy weather.

'When it first came, it hit me [on my chest]. But when it came again, it hit me from the back,' he said at the time. 'And I'm wondering what is this? Because the doors didn't open this time, so why am I getting hit by wind? [It was] the Holy Spirit.'

The tragedy has cast a shadow over the Chapman family, who bonded years earlier over shared loss. 

Chapman began dating Francie in 2020 after the death of his fifth wife, Beth Smith, from stage II throat cancer in 2019. Francie had lost her husband, Bob Frane, 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,' Francie previously told 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.'