(NationalUSNews.com) — An actor who starred in the hit soap opera “General Hospital” has died from a gunshot wound he sustained while three men attempted to steal a catalytic converter from his car.
The actor who died was Johnny Wactor, who worked with several television shows before temporarily leaving the television industry and finding employment as a bartender. Los Angeles authorities announced Wactor’s death on May 25th and confirmed that Wactor’s murder hadn’t resulted in any arrests.
According to witnesses who saw Wactor moments before the fatal shooting, the soap opera star left the bar he worked at and walked into the business’s parking lot. Wactor saw that his car had several men around it and approached the three men, believing they were there to tow the vehicle. Once Wactor noticed the men were attempting to steal his car’s catalytic converter, one of the three assailants pulled out a firearm and shot the actor. Wactor died after medical personnel transported him to a hospital shortly after the altercation.
Wactor’s death immediately prompted people within the television industry to release statements, including the cast of “General Hospital.” In the statement from Wactor’s former co-stars, the soap opera’s cast expressed their heartbreak at his death and described the actor’s murder as “untimely.” Wactor’s costars took to social media to share more information and pictures of the late actor, including his co-star Kirsten Storms. Storms said that she couldn’t believe someone had killed Wactor and expressed her outrage over the fatal catalytic converter theft.
Wactor’s ex-fiancée, fellow actor Tessa Farrell, also shared a video about Wactor’s death and asked for members of the Los Angeles community to help find the men responsible. In the video, Farrell is seen crying as she talks about the fatal shooting. Farrell said that the men responsible for Wactor’s death should find a “real job” and that they murdered Wactor without reason. Farrell also acknowledged that the men responsible for Wactor’s death likely attempted to steal his car’s catalytic converter due to financial hardship but clarified that needing money doesn’t justify committing a crime.
Over the past few years, catalytic converter theft has become increasingly common throughout the United States due to social media posts explaining how the crime could be highly profitable. Catalytic converters contain valuable minerals like rhodium, which thieves can sell to vendors for profit. Los Angeles investigators are looking for the men responsible for Wactor’s death but haven’t released any information about potential suspects or the ongoing investigation.
Copyright 2024, NationalUSNews.com
