American actor Johnny Wactor has been tragically shot dead in Los Angeles by a thief attempting to steal a part from his car. The 37-year-old suffered fatal injuries after interrupting three men trying to remove the catalytic converter from his parked vehicle. Wactor, known for his role in the US soap opera *General Hospital*, was pronounced dead early on Saturday.
His agent, David Shaul, described him to *Variety* as an “outstanding human being” and said, “He would literally give you the shirt off his back. After over a decade together, he will leave a hole in our hearts forever.”
Wactor’s mother, Scarlett, told NBC4 that her son was returning to his car after work and, believing it was being towed, approached a man tampering with it. She recounted that he was immediately shot. The suspect fled with two other men, and Scarlett described her son’s killing as “senseless.” The incident occurred at the corner of West Pico Boulevard and South Hope Street in downtown LA, and no arrests have been made.
Wactor’s brother, Grant, told the LA Times that Wactor had been working as a bartender on Saturday and was walking a co-worker to her car when he was killed. Grant highlighted his brother’s charisma and genuine nature, saying, “He lived life his way. He did exactly what he wanted, even to his last day. He walked the walk.”
Producers at *General Hospital* paid tribute, noting that South Carolina-born Wactor was “truly one of a kind and a pleasure to work with each and every day.” In addition to his two-year stint on the show as Brando Corbin, Wactor also starred in the 2013 NBC series *Siberia* and appeared in two episodes of HBO’s *Westworld*.
Catalytic converters are valuable targets for thieves due to the precious metals they contain, which can be sold for a high price.
