Authorities are now on the lookout after one of the men accused of shooting Lady Gaga's dogwalker in February 2021, was accidentally set free.
According to booking records obtained by E! News, charges filed against James Howard Jackson, 18, were dismissed after his court appearance on April 6. Several law enforcement sources told NBCLA that the dismissal was "an administrative mistake" and that a replacement criminal case should have been filed instead, but because both the court and jail records were not updated immediately—the error led to Jackson's release on Wednesday.
Last April, Jackson, along with Jaylin White, 19 and Lafayette Whaley, 27, were each charged with one count of attempted murder, conspiracy to commit robbery and second-degree robbery. The three men, among five people that were initially charged, were arrested in Los Angeles for their alleged roles in the shooting of Ryan Fischer in February 2021.
Additionally, Jackson was charged with one count of assault with a semiautomatic firearm and a felon carrying a concealed firearm in a vehicle. White faces one count of assault by means of force likely to produce great bodily injury. Each suspect plead not guilty to the charges.
Fischer was out walking three of the pop star's dogs when was he shot, and two out of the three French bulldogs were stolen. (The third was recovered after running away.)
After the incident, Fischer, who was shot in the chest, underwent multiple surgeries to repair a collapsed lung and has since shared updates on his recovery.
"While I'm deeply concerned at the events that led to his release, I'm confident law enforcement will rectify the error," Fischer said in a statement on Instagram on April 8. "I ask for Mr. Jackson to turn himself over to the authorities, so resolution to the crime committed against me runs its course, whatever the courts determine that outcome to be."
E! News has reached out to the Los Angeles Police Department for additional updates and has not heard back.
This article was updated on April 8 at 2:03 p.m. PT to add Fischer's statement.