Los Angeles police released new details Tuesday about the fatal shooting of former General Hospital star Johnny Wactor.
The actor was killed on May 25, when he approached three men trying to strip parts from his vehicle around 3:25 a.m. in downtown Los Angeles, according to police.
Wactor had just finished a shift as a bartender when he noticed a group of men hovering around his vehicle in the 1200 block of Hope Street.
“When Wactor arrived at his vehicle, he was confronted by three individuals who had Wactor’s vehicle raised up with a floor jack and were in the process of stealing the catalytic converter,” the LAPD said in a statement on May 28.
“Without provocation, the victim was shot by one of the individuals,” the statement added.
Related Story: ‘General Hospital’ Actor Johnny Wactor Fatally Shot During Theft in LA
Police responded to a radio call for a shooting and discovered Wactor suffering from a gunshot wound, the LAPD said. Officers alerted paramedics who transported him to an area hospital, where he was pronounced deceased.
Wactor, 37, played “Brando Corbin” on General Hospital from 2020 to 2022. He also had roles on the television series Siberia, The OA, Westworld, Criminal Minds and Station 19.
His brother, Grant Wactor, told the Los Angeles Times the actor was walking a female co-worker to her car after their shift, when he noticed a group of men crowded around his vehicle. Grant said Johnny confronted the men because he thought the car was being towed.
The three suspects got away. According to the LAPD, they were all wearing dark clothing, and fled northbound on Hope Street in a dark colored sedan.
The department urged anyone with information on the shooting to call Detectives Gonzales or Martinez, with Central Bureau Homicide at 213-996-4142 or at 1-877-LAPD-24-7.
Catalytic converter thefts soared across Southern California during the pandemic. The converters contain rare metals inside, and are sold to auto parts suppliers for hundreds of dollars.
According to the Insurance Journal, Los Angeles is currently the top spot for catalytic converter theft claims in the U.S.
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