Authorities said a man selling a French bulldog was fatally shot in the parking lot of a South Carolina fast food restaurant, where he had arranged to meet the buyer.
According to Lee County Sheriff Daniel Simon, Lonnie Alford Ray was selling the dog online and went to a parking lot near Interstate 20 in Bishopville to meet the buyer Monday night.
James Howard Jackson, 20, pleaded no contest to the single count of attempted murder with great bodily injury, while also admitting a prior strike, in connection with the Feb. 24, 2021 attack on Lady Gaga's longtime dog walker, Ryan Fischer.In exchange for his plea to the attempted murder count, prosecutors dismissed charges of second-degree robbery, conspiracy to commit robbery, assault with a semiautomatic firearm and being a felon carrying a concealed firearm in a vehicle.
A struggle ensued, and one gunshot was fired, prompting Fischer to fall to the ground, screaming. The assailants each grabbed one dog -- named Koji and Gustav -- and got back into the rear seat of the car, leaving Fischer on the ground yelling for help. Lady Gaga, who was in Italy filming a movie at the time of the shooting, had offered a $500,000 reward for her pets' safe return and praised Fischer, saying he risked his life "to fight for our family. You're forever a hero."