It’s been nearly three weeks since former General Hospital actor Johnny Wactor was fatally shot in downtown Los Angeles, yet his killer remains free.
On Wednesday, June 12, Wactor’s friends and family members gathered at the site where he was shot, and demanded police step up efforts to find the gunman.
In a video posted on YouTube by Inside Edition, Wactor’s friend and fellow actor, Micah Parker, asked why the LAPD hasn’t made an arrest.
“They swore to protect this city, so we’re asking that they get off the sidelines and do their jobs,” Parker told the large crowd at the march.
Related Story: ‘General Hospital’ Actor Johnny Wactor’s Cause of Death Released by Coroner
Wactor, 37, was shot around 3:25 a.m. on May 25, when he approached three thieves trying to steal a part from his car.
In a statement last month, the LAPD said the suspects “had Wactor’s vehicle raised up with a floor jack and were in the process of stealing the catalytic converter.”
“Without provocation, the victim was shot by one of the individuals,” the statement continued.
Wactor was downtown after working a late night shift at Level 8, where he would pick up work as a bartender between acting jobs. He had just finished work and was walking to his car with a female co-worker when he was shot in the 1200 block of Hope Street.
Los Angeles City Councilman Kevin de León joined Wednesday’s march to show support for Wactor’s family.
“We cannot and must not normalize crimes to the point where criminals are not deterred by the threat of punishment or being held accountable,” de León said.
The actor’s brother Grant Wactor told the crowd Johnny would have turned 38 in August. Grant called for more to be done to address crime in Los Angeles.
“Me and my family, we don’t live here. But Johnny’s friends, Johnny has roots here. Johnny still has roots here and will continue to have roots here. So we want it to be a safer city for them,” he said. “We want it sooner rather than later.”
After marching to nearby Los Angeles City Hall, the crowd called on city leaders to offer a reward for information leading to an arrest in the case.
Joseph Iniguez of the L.A. County District Attorney’s Office also attended the march and said prosecutors are working with LAPD detectives on the case. “We have a number of leads,” Iniguez said.
Watch a news report below from Inside Edition.
