A man who shot and killed Lady Gaga’s dog walker during a violent robbery last year when the singer’s two French bulldogs were stolen was sentenced Monday to 21 years in prison, prosecutors said.
The man, James Howard Jackson, reached an agreement with prosecutors under which he pleaded not contesting one count of attempted murder and pleaded guilty to causing grievous bodily harm and “prior strike,” according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office. .
Mr. Jackson, 20, was sentenced to 21 years in state prison immediately, the district attorney’s office said. “The plea deal holds Mr. Jackson accountable for committing a callous act of violence and justice for our victims,” the office said in a statement.
Ryan Fischer, the dog walker who was shot in the chest during the February 24, 2021 Hollywood attack, spoke directly to Jackson in court shortly before his guilty plea, according to Rolling Stone.
“You shot me, left me to die, and our lives were changed forever,” Mr. Fisher said, according to Rolling Stone, adding that the shooting resulted in “lung failure after lung failure.” , and caused him to lose his career and friendships.
According to Rolling Stone, Mr. Fischer still told Mr. Jackson: “I do forgive you. You completely changed my life through this attack. I knew from you that you shot me before I said those things to you.” From the night of that, I couldn’t quite move on.”
It was not immediately clear who Mr. Jackson’s lawyers are.
Mr Jackson is accused of participating in the robbery along with two other men, Jalin White and Lafayette Whaley, who were also charged in the case last year.
Police have said the robbers, who grabbed the dogs and fled in a car after the shooting, were not targeting French bulldogs because they belonged to Lady Gaga.
According to police, there is evidence the men knew the breed was valuable. Lady Gaga is offering a $500,000 reward for the safe return of the dogs, Koji and Gustav.
Mr. Fischer, who was badly injured in the shooting, recalled lying in a pool of blood holding one of Lady Gaga’s dogs, which was not stolen in the attack.
In August, neither Jaylin White nor Mr. Whaley pleaded to one count of second-degree robbery, the district attorney’s office said. Mr. White was sentenced to four years in state prison and Mr. Whaley was sentenced to six years in state prison, the office said.
Two other people — Harold White and Jennifer McBride — were charged as accessories after the shooting, police said last year. Ms. McBride reported that she found the dogs and responded to a reward email requesting their return, police said.
Ms. McBride eventually took the dogs to the LAPD, police said. Police said they later discovered that Ms McBride had a relationship with one of the arrested men.
Harold White pleaded no contest to one count of firearm possession on Monday, according to the district attorney’s office. He will be sentenced next year, the office said. Ms McBride’s case remains pending, the office said.