After a lengthy investigation, James Howard Jackson, 20, was sentenced to 21 years in prison on Wednesday for the attempted murder of Ryan Fischer, Lady Gaga’s former dog walker.
In February 2021, Jackson and two others were reportedly roaming through West Hollywood, Hollywood, and the San Fernando Valley looking to profit off French bulldogs and other expensive breeds. Jackson shot Fischer in the chest during the robbery while attempting to take two of Gaga’s French bulldogs.
Fischer survived the shooting and is now recovering from the incident. Jackson accepted a plea agreement and pleaded no contest to one count of attempted murder. With this conviction, two other suspects involved in the crime are still awaiting trial.
Fischer was admitted to the hospital in late March, after being shot by Jackson. His lung had suffered significant damage and required surgery to repair.
During the sentencing on Monday, Fischer took the opportunity to address the shooter, noting that their lives had been changed forever. Fischer said, “You shot me and left me to die, and both of our lives have changed forever.”
“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 continued.
Prosecutors revealed that Lady Gaga’s two dogs were returned to her after the pop icon offered a $500,000 reward. Five suspects were arrested in April 2021, two months after Fischer was shot. L.A. County District Attorney George Gascón described the attack as “a brazen street crime.”
Jaylin White and Lafayette Whaley — the two men involved in the crime — had previously pleaded no contest to robbery earlier this year.
Jackson was among those arrested, but was mistakenly released from jail due to a “clerical error” and remained free until August, when authorities finally apprehended him.