James Howard Jackson accepted a 21-year prison sentence on Monday. It is the price that it has cost him to shoot against the person who walked the dogs of the singer, composer and actress Lady Gaga.
It happened on February 24, 2021, in Hollwood, in Los Angeles. According to the prosecution, the connection to Lady Gaga was purely coincidental. In the long run, she has even been a hindrance to the fame of the artist. The reason for opening fire on Ryan Fischer, who cared for the three Lady Gaga dogs, was to get hold of the three French bulldogs, highly prized pets among celebrities and that can be worth thousands of dollars.
Jackson was one of the three who participated in the robbery with violence, in which there are also two accomplices, who at no time thought that the stolen dogs, named Koji and Gustav (the third escaped), had such a famous owner. Lady Gaga came to offer a reward of 500,000 dollars to be able to reunite with her dogs.
The alleged shooter pleaded no contest to the attempted murder charge, the Los Angeles County attorney general's office said. The defendant and two others were driving in the West Hollywood area "looking for French bulldogs" and met Fischer. Near Sunset Boulevard, Fischer was walking the singer's three dogs. Jackson shot him, stressed the accusation, and two of the three dogs were taken away. The third appeared in the area after fleeing.
"I've been shot, help me, I'm bleeding on my chest," the victim yelled. Then, on social networks, she assured that she had been "very close to death." The prosecution said in a statement that the sentence agreement "allows Jackson to be held accountable in court for committing a violent act in cold blood and gives satisfaction to the victims." In addition to frustrated homicide, he has also been convicted of robbery and assault with a firearm.
A mistake allowed Jackson to get out of jail earlier this year. Five months after they located and arrested him again.
Koji and Gustav were returned days later by Jennifer McBride, who is accused of complicity and will receive her sentence in 2023. Harold White, who was McBride's partner at the time, did not contest the charge of possession of a weapon.
The couple tried to help White's son, Jaylin White, another of those involved in the robbery, from being arrested after the attack on the dog walker. Both Jaylin White and Lafayette Whaley accepted a sentence for robbery a few months ago.
Whaley is the one who was driving the car that night, while Jackson was armed and the young White, after the attack, gave chase to the dogs, before his colleague fired.
