The U.S. Marshals announced on Monday (July 18), that it is offering a new reward to bring one of the men who shot Lady Gaga‘s dog walker back behind bars. Information leading to the arrest of James Howard Jackson can receive up to $5,000, per the release.
Jackson was initially arrested in April 2021 along with four other individuals for the February 2021 attack on Ryan Fischer. He, Jaylin White, and Lafayette Whaley were charged with attempted murder, conspiracy to commit robbery, and second-degree robbery. Two others — Harold White and Jennifer McBride — were arrested for accessory to attempted murder.
Jackson, who is the alleged gunman, was mistakenly released from a Los Angeles jail April 6, 2022, due to an administrative mistake. According to NBCLA at the time, he had been freed after a court appearance, but was supposed to face aa superseding grand jury indictment unsealed during that day’s hearing. Sources told NBCLA that the superseding case was not entered against Jackson, who was on $3 million bail, resulting in his accidental release.
According to the announcement from the U.S. Marshals, 19-year-old Jackson allegedly shot Fischer with a .40-caliber handgun while the dog walker was out with three of Lady Gaga’s French bulldogs in Hollywood on Feb. 24, 2021. Fischer sustained a gunshot wound to the chest, and two of the dogs were taken. The dogs were brought unharmed to a Los Angeles Police Department Station days after their kidnapping. The woman who returned the dogs was McBride, who was later charged as an accessory to the crime.
The release from the U.S. Marshal notes that Jackson should be considered armed and dangerous. Anyone with information as to where he may be is encouraged to contact law enforcement. Tips can also be submitted via the USMS Tips app.
Billboard has reached out to Lady Gaga for comment.
Fischer spoke out about his ordeal in March 2021 Instagram posts, in which he shared photos of himself in a hospital bed and on a ventilator. “4 days ago, while a car sped away and blood poured from my gun shot wound, an angel trotted over and laid next to me,” he began his first post, which shared how one of the three dogs, Asia, remained by his side until help arrived. In a second Instagram post, he thanked the pop star, writing, “You have shown so much support throughout this whole crisis to both me and my family.”
