Man who stole Lady Gaga’s dogs and shot her dog walker gets 21 years behind bars

Ryan Fischer was walking Lady Gaga’s dogs back in February 2021 when he was shot in the chest and the two pups were stolen. Today, the gunman and thief James Howard Jackson was sentenced to 21 years in prison. 

The verdict was handed down in a Los Angeles court, during which Fischer took the opportunity to read a victim’s statement to his assailant. In the aftermath of the altercation, Fischer suffered from a collapsed lung and had to have part of the organ surgically removed.

Jackson was freed from prison in April this year due to a clerical error however was recaptured in August. Fischer said the following to Jackson: 

“I do forgive you. With the attack, you completely altered my life. I know I can’t completely move on from the night you shot me until I said those words to you.”

Fischer also thanked Jackson for not harming the dogs (two French bulldogs, Gustav and Koji) which were found in the days following the incident tied to a pole in an alleyway, per Rolling Stone. The shooting victim also detailed how his life had changed forever following the altercation, citing “lung collapse after lung collapse” as well as damaged relationships and career prospects. 

Lady Gaga, meanwhile, has been making waves recently with one of her older hits being granted a new lease on life by the hit new Netflix series, Wednesday. The singer and actor will also be starring alongside Joaquin Phoenix in Joker: Folie à Deux.