The man who shot Lady Gaga’s dog walker and kidnapped her dogs was released from custody. The problem is, he was released, several months ago, by mistake! And, the police are only telling us now!
According to AFP, 19-year-old James Howard Jackson is charged with shooting Ryan Fischer in 2021. But Jackson was released from custody in April due to a “clerical error,” according to the US Marshals Service. The US Marshals described Jackson as armed and dangerous and are offering $5,000 for any information that could lead to his capture.
If you bought or found them unknowingly, the reward is the same. I continue to love you Ryan Fischer, you risked your life to fight for our family. You’re forever a hero.
— Lady Gaga (@ladygaga) February 26, 2021
Lady Gaga went viral in February of last year after announcing that her three dogs – Koji, Gustav, and Miss Asia – were attacked and two were kidnapped. The singer and actress then placed a $500,000 reward, no questions asked, for their safe return.
The crime, which was recorded by a nearby home’s security system, happened in a neighborhood near Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles. Gaga’s friend and dogwalker Ryan Fischer was walking with the dogs when a vehicle drove up beside him. Two suspects got out of the vehicle and pointed guns at Fischer, demanding he hand over the animals. When Fischer refused, a struggle broke out and Jackson shot Fischer with a handgun. The two men then fled with two of the dogs, Koji and Gustav. Miss Asia, meanwhile, ran away during the fight and later returned to the wounded Fischer.
Police say that they don’t believe the suspects targeted the dogs because they were Lady Gaga’s. Instead, the suspects most likely chose the dogs because of their breed being worth thousands of dollars.
Related: Lady Gaga’s Dogwalker Asks Queer Community For Help While Recovering
In the end, a 50-year-old woman turned in the two missing dogs to the police just two days after the theft. Later, the same woman, named Jennifer McBride was arrested in connection to the dognapping. She was arrested alongside three other people. Alongside a Harold White, McBride was charged as an accessory to attempted murder.
Meanwhile, James Howard Jackson, Jaylin White, and Lafayette Whaley, who were directly involved with the robbery, were arrested on one count each of attempted murder, conspiracy to commit robbery, and second-degree robbery. Jackson also had one count of assault with a semiautomatic firearm and a felon carrying a concealed firearm in a vehicle. White also had an additional count of assault by means of force likely to produce great bodily injury.
As for Ryan Fischer, his recovery was extensive, and expensive enough to warrant a GoFundMe campaign, but he has since fully recovered from the attack.
Source: AFP,
Since he’s gay I wonder if it was homophobia or an anti-gay hate crime. So sad what happened to him.