Lynyrd Skynyrd – Who Shot Ronnie Van Zant?

“I’ve been shot but I can’t talk about it” This was coming for a while a few months in the making.

There was a fellow that spent alot of time at the Van Zant home. He was two or three years younger than me and Ronnie Van Zant. Quiet, but a little shady. A school boy kind of nerdy we thought. Newton was his name but he sure didn’t like to be called Newton. We would call him that just to make him mad.

Me and Ronnie would take a .22 single shot rifle from his house. We would get older people like my brother or other older boys to get them, because we were too young to buy them. We would shoot birds, squirrels, bottles, cans, bull eye targets, just about anything that did not move.

This “Newton” fellow was always jealous. He was just too young to shoot the gun, but he always wanted too everytime we went out. I can remember this one time me and Ronnie returned from shooting and a bullet was left in the gun. It was not me.

This Newton boy came into Ronnie’s room picked up the gun and accidently pulled the trigger. He shot Ronnie right in the leg. This Newton boy better be glad Lacy Van Zant was out on the road driving his 18 wheeler. But Sister Van Zant was home. She came running in, and said “what was that noise” Ronnie hollered “I shot myself” taking the heat for Newton.

Sister took Ronnie to the hospital. The gun shot left a small hole, a .22 shot don’t go that deep into a leg. It left a little hole that soon healed right up. I don’t think Sister or Lacy Van Zant ever knew who shot Ronnie Van Zant, their eldest son.

It has been about 43 or 44 years since Donald Newton Van Zant better known as Donnie or “Fig Newton” accidently shot his older brother Ronnie. I am not sure if anyone knows. Donnie was only about 10 years old. He probably don’t remember after these years. I am sure after he reads this it will bring back old memories. By Ronnie taking the blame Donnie was saved from getting several butt whippings from their daddy Lacy.

And now the story is told. Who really shot Ronnie Van Zant? Case Closed.

Gene Odom
Who Shot Ronnie Van Zant?