Actor Johnny Wactor, 37, renowned for his role in the daytime drama "General Hospital," has died in a shooting incident when he intervened in a crime in Los Angeles, as confirmed by his family and the authorities.
His mother, Scarlett Wactor, confirmed his death, describing him as “a light in a dark room.”
“There is a huge hole in all of us, and there is no fixing that,” she expressed.
David Shaul, Wactor's agent, conveyed in a statement to Variety that Wactor was not only a committed professional but also an exceptional individual.
“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 stated. “After over a decade together, he will leave a hole in our hearts forever.”
Johnny Wactor Death
The Los Angeles police, refraining from confirming the identity of the deceased individual, provided details of the event.
According to the police department, around 3:25 a.m. on Sunday, the victim encountered three individuals in the act of removing a catalytic converter from a vehicle near the intersection of Pico Boulevard and Hope Street, situated in the southwest area of downtown Los Angeles, as reported by NBC News.
According to the police, one of the three individuals opened fire, fatally injuring the victim.
Speaking from South Carolina over the phone, Scarlett Wactor recounted that her son had been working as a bartender at a nearby rooftop venue. After assisting with a "deep clean" following the venue's closure, he walked to his car with three co-workers.
Two of the coworkers went in a separate direction to reach their vehicles, leaving her son and one coworker together, she explained. As they approached his car, which was elevated, he assumed it was being towed because he had parked on the street in an unfamiliar location, anticipating a later-than-usual shift.
According to her, he moved in front of his coworker and questioned an individual near his vehicle about the towing situation. It was at this moment that the person shot him.
She added that the other two individuals described by the police were waiting in a nearby vehicle.
Who Was Johnny Wactor?
Johnny Wactor, a native of Charleston, South Carolina, harbored a passion for acting since his elementary school days, as recounted by Scarlett Wactor. Following his attendance at Rollings Middle School of the Arts in South Carolina, he ventured to Hollywood, maintaining contact with his theater instructor.
Despite the challenges of the industry, Wactor remained committed to his craft, regularly attending acting classes and occasionally indulging in climbing, according to Scarlett Wactor.
His journey in the entertainment realm began with a television debut on Lifetime's "West Wives," leading to a notable role in "General Hospital," where he portrayed Brando, the son of Bonnie Borroughs' character, Gladys Corbin, spanning 164 episodes. He also made appearances on "Westworld" and lent his voice to the video game "Call of Duty: Vanguard," as documented by IMDb.
Scarlett Wactor said she finds solace in her son's acting legacy, as quoted by NBC.
"I think that when I see Johnny on the videos and the recordings, I can only hope that he's doing that in heaven and enjoying it," she said.
No arrests have been made yet.
The tragic incident occurred in close proximity to Crypto Arena, where the Lakers hold their home games.
Thieves target stealing catalytic converters due to the valuable precious and industrial metals they contain, such as platinum, palladium, and rhodium. The prices of these metals surged before and during the coronavirus pandemic.
According to the National Insurance Crime Bureau, catalytic converter thefts reached their highest point in 2022 nationwide. To combat this trend, numerous states, from California to Rhode Island, have implemented legislation aimed at making it harder to trade stolen catalytic converters and the metals they contain.
