'You don't want to see this': Dad blew 13-year-old son away while 'dry firing' his gun with buddy after drinking for hours, police say

A Florida antheral was charged successful transportation with the fatal shooting of his teenage son, and constabulary said helium was drunk astatine the clip of the tragedy.

Gregory Zecca, 39, was arrested connected Tuesday, months aft constabulary said helium fatally changeable his ain 13-year-old lad successful the chest. In a Facebook post, the Collier County Sheriff's Office said Zecca was charged with aggravated manslaughter of a kid with a firearm and utilizing a firearm portion nether the influence. The incident took spot connected July 19, 2025, astatine an flat wherever Zecca's friend, Christopher Jones, lived successful Naples, Florida.

Zecca and Jones, on with their respective girlfriends and Zecca's son, went backmost to the flat aft spending the evening astatine a section bowling alley. According to a probable origin connection reviewed by Law&Crime, the adults drank respective alcoholic beverages past purchased much to bring backmost to the apartment.

Police said that aft the radical returned to the apartment, the men separated from the women, and the teen joined the women, telling them that Zecca and his person were "roughhousing." The lad yet made his mode backmost to his begetter and Jones, who ended up successful the room wherever the 3 "were practicing drafting the firearms from their waistbands."

Jones told constabulary that helium and Zecca were "dry firing" the weapon aft Zecca made definite it was not loaded.

The 2 girlfriends placed a nutrient bid past near the flat to instrumentality the canine for a walk. Jones told constabulary that aft the women left, helium "specifically witnessed Zecca insert a mag into his 9 mm handgun and propulsion the trigger." He aboriginal contradicted himself, saying helium "did not callback seeing Zecca load a magazine" into his gun.

When constabulary questioned Zecca, helium told constabulary that helium was "handling the weapon and it went off," hitting his lad successful the chest. The lad collapsed to the floor, and Jones witnessed humor coming retired of his mouth. Zecca ran to the boy's broadside portion Jones called 911.

The women told constabulary that portion they were extracurricular the apartment, they heard a muffled "pop," but believed the sound could person 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 privation to spot this."

Police arrived astatine the flat and declared the lad deceased. They located 2 firearms, including Zecca's 9 mm, successful the kitchen. According to the statement, constabulary smelled intoxicant coming disconnected of Zecca, and Jones confirmed to constabulary that helium and Zecca had been drinking that evening and smoking marijuana.

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In a Facebook post, the Collier County Sheriff's Office said Zecca's humor intoxicant attraction was 0.116 astatine the clip of the shooting, higher than the state's ineligible bounds of 0.08. His humor besides tested affirmative for THC, the progressive constituent successful marijuana.

It was noted successful the tribunal documents that Zecca had a agelong past of moving with firearms, including astir his stepfather Duane Chapman, amended known arsenic Dog the Bounty Hunter.

Zecca was charged with aggravated manslaughter of a kid with a firearm and utilizing a firearm portion nether the influence. His arraignment is scheduled for March 2.