U.S. Marshals offer reward in search for man who allegedly shot Lady Gaga's dog walker and was accidentally freed


U.S. Marshals are seeking information on a man accused of shooting Lady Gaga's dog walker after the suspect was accidentally released from jail more than three months ago.
The U.S. Marshals Service said in a statement a reward of up to $5,000 is being offered for information leading to the arrest of 19-year-old James Howard Jackson, who was charged with attempted murder and robbery after allegedly shooting Lady Gaga's dog walker in Feburary 2021. The pop star's French bulldogs were kidnapped but later returned, and the dog walker, Ryan Fischer, recovered from his injuries.
Officials said Jackson was "erroneously" released from custody in April 2022 "due to a clerical error," as was reported at the time. In April, charges against the suspect were dismissed so they could be replaced with a superseding indictment, but he was apparently mistakenly released because the court records weren't correctly updated, NBC News reported.
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The Los Angeles Sheriff's Department Major Crime Team has now asked the U.S. Marshals Service for help locating the suspect, who "should be considered armed and dangerous," officials said.
Jackson was one of five suspects arrested in the shooting of Ryan Fischer, who told CBS that "people in the E.R. who I'd seen that night told me that they didn't think I was going to survive that night." In April, Fischer said he was "deeply concerned" to learn Jackson had been released but "confident law enforcement will rectify the error."
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Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
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