A Florida father was arrested this week on aggravated manslaughter and related charges in the July 2025 shooting death of his 13-year-old son inside a friend’s apartment, the Collier County Sheriff’s Office said. The man, identified as 39-year-old Gregory Anthony Zecca, was taken into custody Tuesday following a months-long investigation.
Detectives said Zecca had been watching a televised fight with friends and his son when he repeatedly practiced drawing and dry firing a handgun he initially believed was safe. At some point, investigators allege, he reinserted a magazine and chambered a round. A single shot struck the child, identified by relatives as Anthony, who died despite emergency aid at the scene. Deputies said Zecca had consumed alcohol and marijuana earlier that day and later recorded an estimated blood-alcohol level of 0.116 during the reconstruction of events. He faces counts of aggravated manslaughter of a child with a firearm and using a firearm while under the influence. A first appearance is expected in the coming days in Collier County court.
According to the arrest report, the gathering began the afternoon of July 19 at an apartment complex in the Naples area. Witnesses told investigators Zecca removed the magazine and cleared the chamber several times as he mimed trigger pulls and holster draws, calling it practice. A friend present that night said the child stood nearby watching clips on a phone. At some point close to midnight, another witness heard a loud crack and saw the boy fall. “It was supposed to be empty,” one person recalled telling deputies. The report says Zecca and others tried life-saving measures while a neighbor called 911. Paramedics pronounced the teen dead shortly after they arrived.
Authorities said they compiled the case using neighbor statements, phone records, and a forensic review of the pistol, which was recovered with a magazine seated and a spent casing nearby. The medical examiner concluded the boy died of a single gunshot wound. Investigators said no evidence suggests an intentional shooting. The father’s impairment level was calculated through toxicology and back-extrapolation based on the timeline collected from witnesses and digital logs. Deputies also noted earlier text messages arranging the viewing party and references to drinks consumed. The apartment complex sits off a commercial corridor east of central Naples, with interior hallway cameras that captured visitors arriving and leaving but not the living room where the shot was fired.
Relatives later identified the victim as Anthony, a middle schooler who, family members said, enjoyed target shooting with supervision. Public posts from extended family described deep grief and asked for privacy. Zecca, who is related by marriage to television personality Duane “Dog” Chapman, was not charged immediately after the shooting while detectives completed lab work and interviews. The six-month gap between the death and the arrest reflected the time required to obtain final autopsy findings and complete firearms testing, authorities said. The sheriff’s office emphasized there was no threat to the public and no indications of a wider dispute at the gathering.
Florida law treats aggravated manslaughter of a child with a firearm as a first-degree felony. Prosecutors can also pursue a count for using a firearm while under the influence when investigators conclude intoxication contributed to a discharge that causes death or injury. Standard next steps include a formal arraignment, discovery disclosures to the defense, and a review of the firearm’s mechanical condition by state experts. The State Attorney’s Office will decide whether to seek additional enhancements or present the case to a grand jury after preliminary hearings. Court schedules were pending Friday.
Residents at the complex described an intense response the night of the shooting, with patrol units blocking the entrance and firefighters wheeling equipment down a narrow breezeway. One neighbor said adults were shouting for towels and telling people not to come inside the unit. By morning, yellow tape still crossed the stairwell as detectives photographed the corridor and collected electronic devices. Later, friends left a small cluster of flowers near a lamppost by the parking area. The apartment has since returned to routine, with management declining comment.
As of Friday, authorities had not announced a trial date or whether Zecca would seek release conditions before arraignment. The sheriff’s office said more information is expected after the court appearance and after additional forensic reports are filed into the case record. The apartment complex remains open, and officials have reported no further incidents tied to the address.
Author note: Last updated February 7, 2026.