Actor Johnny Wactor, known for his work on daytime drama “General Hospital,” was fatally shot when he interrupted a crime in Los Angeles, according to police and family.
Wactor’s death in the incident was confirmed by his mother, Scarlett Wactor. He was 37.
His agent, David Shaul, said in a statement to Variety that the actor was a dedicated worker and exemplary person.
“In the highs and lows of a challenging profession he always kept his chin up and kept striving for the best he could be,” Shaul said. “After over a decade together, he will leave a hole in our hearts forever.”
The Los Angeles Police Department did not confirm the identity of the deceased, but offered a narrative of the incident.
About 3:25 a.m. on Sunday, the victim came upon three people removing a catalytic converter from a vehicle near Pico Boulevard and Hope Street, in the southwest corner of downtown Los Angeles, the LAPD said.
One of the three opened fire, striking the victim, who was pronounced dead, police said. No arrests have been made.
The crime happened a short walk from Crypto Arena, where the Lakers play home games.
Wactor was born in Charleston, South Carolina. He made his television debut on Lifetime’s “West Wives,” and eventually appeared in 164 episodes of “General Hospital,” on which he portrayed the son of Bonnie Borroughs’ Gladys Corbin, Brando, according to IMDB.
He also appeared on television’s “Westworld” and as a voice in video game “Call of Duty: Vanguard,” according to the database.
Catalytic converter thieves target the pollution-thwarting parts for their valuable precious and industrial metals — platinum, palladium and rhodium — the price of which had skyrocketed in the years before and during the pandemic.
The thefts nationwide peaked in 2022, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau. A wave of state legislation, from California to Rhode Island, has attempted to make it difficult to buy and sell stolen catalytic converters and the metals within.
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