Actor Jonathan Joss, known for voice acting in King Of The Hill and his role in Parks and Recreation, was shot dead outside his home in Texas, USA. According to reports, the police were dispatched to a home in south San Antonio about 7 pm on Sunday on a shooting in progress call. When officers arrived at the scene, they found the wounded 59-year-old near the street.
In a statement, the San Antonio police said, “The officers attempted life-saving measures until EMS arrived. EMS pronounced the victim deceased”.
Confirming his death, Joss`s husband Tristan Kern de Gonzales told The Associated Press, “He was murdered”. The two were married earlier this year on Valentine`s Day.
What happened?
de Gonzales recalled the events before his husband was shot dead in a statement to the police. He said that before the shooting, he and Joss were checking mails at latter`s home, which had been heavily damaged during a January fire. A man approached the two and threatened them with a gun, de Gonzales said.
“Jonathan and I had no weapons. We were not threatening anyone. We were grieving. We were standing side by side. When the man fired Jonathan pushed me out of the way. He saved my life,” de Gonzales said. The police arrested 56-year-old Sigfredo Alvarez Ceja and charged him with murder in Joss` death.
The police is yet investigating the matter and do not have a clear answer for the reason behind the fatal incident. Court records did not list an attorney who could speak on behalf of Ceja, who was being held in the Bexar County Adult Detention Center.
More about Jonathan Joss
Joss, who grew up in San Antonio, was best known as the voice of John Redcorn, a Native American character on the popular `King of the Hill` animated series that ran for 13 seasons from 1997 to 2008. A reboot of the show is set to start in August. Joss also had a recurring role on the television show `Parks and Recreation`, playing Chief Ken Hotate. He appeared in two episodes of the series `Tulsa King` in 2022.
A GoFundMe page had been set up in January for Joss after the house fire. According to the page, Joss had lost all of his belongings in the fire, including his vehicle.
On Saturday, Joss had posted a video on Instagram in which he said he was signing autographs at a comic book store in Austin. “The fans get to revisit King of the Hill` again, which I think is an amazing thing because it`s a great show,” Joss said in the video, adding he had already done voice work on four episodes of the revival.
Joss`s husband said that the actor was grateful for his fans.
“To everyone who supported him, his fans, his friends, know that he valued you deeply. He saw you as family,” de Gonzales said.