“General Hospital” actor Johnny Wactor, 37, shot dead in downtown LA

US News

From David Propper

“General Hospital” actor Johnny Wactor was shot and killed early Saturday morning in Los Angeles when he confronted a trio of masked thieves who tried to steal a valuable item from his car.

Wactor, 37, was fatally shot when he and a co-worker observed three suspects allegedly trying to steal a catalytic converter from his car downtown around 3:30 a.m., TMZ reported, citing Wactor’s mother and police.

Grieving mother Scarlett Wactor said authorities told her that although her son did not fight back, the suspects shot him anyway and then fled in a vehicle, the source said.

She also told KABC that while walking to his car from his job at a rooftop bar, he initially thought it was being towed and tried to talk to one of the robbers. The thief, who was wearing a mask, looked up and shot him, she added.

A law enforcement source also confirmed to the Los Angeles Times that Wactor confronted the suspects before he was shot and later pronounced dead at the hospital.

As of Sunday afternoon, no suspect had been arrested.

According to his IMDb profile, Wactor is best known for his role as Brando Corbin in 164 episodes of the long-running soap opera “General Hospital” between 2020 and 2022. He was later written out of the series.

He also appeared in the supernatural drama series “Siberia,” the drama “Army Wives,” and an episode of “Criminal Minds.”

Fellow actors expressed shock and sadness over Wactor’s violent death.

Jon Lindstrom of “General Hospital” said he “felt sick at the news.”

“Johnny was one of the few young men in this business who was kind, modest, humble and always thought of other people,” Lindstrom tweeted“A talented young man who just wanted to share that talent with the world.

“I wish I had enough love to fill the void his loved ones must be feeling right now, but I know that’s impossible. Johnny will be missed on that plane. For a long time.”

Actress Nancy Lee Grahn, who also stars in the soap opera, called the shooting “tragic, infuriating and heartbreaking.”

“What a wonderful man Johnny was,” she tweeted.

Scarlett Wactor told TMZ she will remember her son as a loving young man. Wactor leaves behind his mother and two younger brothers, the news agency reported.

On his Instagram page, Wactor posted about his passion for climbing and acting, which is now being flooded with condolences.

In recent years, thefts of catalytic converters, which can be resold on the black market for more than $1,000, have skyrocketed across the country. These are exhaust systems that convert toxic gases into safer emissions but contain valuable metals.