NAPLES MAN FACES LIFE IN PRISON IN FATAL JULY SHOOTING

A Naples area man was arrested this week on charges that could put him behind bars for life in connection with the death of his 13-year-old son, officials confirmed. The Collier County Sheriff’s Office says the arrest is the culmination of a seven-month investigation into a shooting that occurred during a social gathering last summer.

According to law enforcement, Gregory Anthony Zecca, 39, was taken into custody on Feb. 3 and charged with aggravated manslaughter of a child with a firearm and a separate count of using a firearm while under the influence. Prosecutors say the aggravated manslaughter charge alone carries the potential for a life prison sentence under Florida law.

The charges stem from a July 19, 2025 incident at an apartment near Naples Manor, where Zecca was with his son and others watching a televised UFC fight. Deputies allege that Zecca had spent much of the day consuming alcohol at local establishments and later used both alcohol and marijuana while at the gathering.

Investigators say that throughout the evening, Zecca repeatedly handled his firearm in the presence of his son, at times practicing drawing it from his waistband and dry-firing with the magazine removed. At one point, authorities allege, the magazine was reinserted and a round chambered, resulting in a single shot that struck and killed the teenager.

Responding deputies reported smelling alcohol on Zecca’s breath and observing marijuana in plain sight when they arrived at the scene. Toxicology findings later estimated his blood alcohol concentration at approximately 0.116%, well above Florida’s legal limit of 0.08%. A sheriff’s office representative said investigators obtained search warrants for medical records and a blood draw as part of the probe.

In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, emergency responders attempted life-saving measures on the boy before he was pronounced dead, authorities said. Zecca was placed on a psychiatric hold following the tragedy out of concern for his mental well-being.

Sheriff Kevin Rambosk described the case as tragic and preventable, noting the dangers of combining substance use and firearms around children. Deputies conducted exhaustive interviews, forensic reviews, and gathered evidence over several months before moving forward with the charges.

The case has drawn attention nationally due in part to Zecca’s family connections, but local law enforcement has centered its comments on the facts of the investigation and the outcome of their work. Zecca now awaits his first appearance in court on the serious charges, and prosecutors will determine how to proceed as the legal process unfolds