Background: News footage of the apartment complex in Naples, Fla., where Gregory Zecca allegedly shot his son in July 2025 (WBBH). Inset: Gregory Zecca (Collier County Sheriff's Office).
A Florida man was charged in connection with the fatal shooting of his teenage son, and police said he was drunk at the time of the tragedy.
Gregory Zecca, 39, was arrested on Tuesday, months after police said he fatally shot his own 13-year-old son in the chest. In a Facebook post, the Collier County Sheriff's Office said Zecca was charged with aggravated manslaughter of a child with a firearm and using a firearm while under the influence. The incident took place on July 19, 2025, at an apartment where Zecca's friend, Christopher Jones, lived in Naples, Florida.
Zecca and Jones, along with their respective girlfriends and Zecca's son, went back to the apartment after spending the evening at a local bowling alley. According to a probable cause statement reviewed by Law&Crime, the adults drank several alcoholic beverages then purchased more to bring back to the apartment.
Police said that after the group returned to the apartment, the men separated from the women, and the teen joined the women, telling them that Zecca and his friend were "roughhousing." The boy eventually made his way back to his father and Jones, who ended up in the kitchen where the three "were practicing drawing the firearms from their waistbands."
Jones told police that he and Zecca were "dry firing" the gun after Zecca made sure it was not loaded.
The two girlfriends placed a food order then left the apartment to take the dog for a walk. Jones told police that after the women left, he "specifically witnessed Zecca insert a magazine into his 9 mm handgun and pull the trigger." He later contradicted himself, saying he "did not recall seeing Zecca load a magazine" into his gun.
When police questioned Zecca, he told police that he was "handling the gun and it went off," hitting his son in the chest. The boy collapsed to the floor, and Jones witnessed blood coming out of his mouth. Zecca ran to the boy's side while Jones called 911.
The women told police that while they were outside the apartment, they heard a muffled "pop," but believed the noise could have been fireworks. Then they heard "frantic screaming." When they returned to the apartment, a "distressed" Jones stopped them from coming inside, telling them, "You don't want to see this."
Police arrived at the apartment and declared the boy deceased. They located two firearms, including Zecca's 9 mm, in the kitchen. According to the statement, police smelled alcohol coming off of Zecca, and Jones confirmed to police that he and Zecca had been drinking that evening and smoking marijuana.
In a Facebook post, the Collier County Sheriff's Office said Zecca's blood alcohol concentration was 0.116 at the time of the shooting, higher than the state's legal limit of 0.08. His blood also tested positive for THC, the active ingredient in marijuana.
It was noted in the court documents that Zecca had a long history of working with firearms, including around his stepfather Duane Chapman, better known as Dog the Bounty Hunter.
Zecca was charged with aggravated manslaughter of a child with a firearm and using a firearm while under the influence. His arraignment is scheduled for March 2.