"General Hospital" star Johnny Wactor was killed while protecting a female co-worker from armed robbers who shot him dead over a catalytic converter. Wactor, 37, put his body in the way to protect a female co-worker when the armed car thieves fatally shot him in Los Angeles, his brother Grant told the Daily Mail.
The actor, who appeared in 164 episodes of the soap opera from 2020 to 2022, was leaving his side job at a rooftop bar with a female colleague around 3:25 a.m. on Saturday near West Pico Boulevard and South Hope Street when he saw the three men near his luxury car, his brother told the outlet.
Killed Protecting His Colleague
Believing his car was being towed, Wactor approached the men to discuss it. One of the men then looked up and pointed a gun at Wactor, who shielded his female co-worker with his body as he was shot.
"We're Southern, born and raised, and we would never let a female walk to their car by herself," the grieving brother said.
"He came across them and he thought his truck was being towed. So he said something to the guys, like, 'Hey, are you towing?'
"And then once he turned around, he saw what was happening and he put his coworker behind him. And that's when they shot him."
The thieves, who police say were all wearing masks, fled the scene in a separate vehicle. They had not been identified as of Monday morning.
"We are completely devastated," Wactor's grandmother, Barbara, told The Daily Mail. "He was just walking to his car. It's senseless."
The actor's mom, Scarlett Wactor, told NBC News how her son stepped in front of the co-worker to protect her, 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 said.
Heroic Deed
Johnny often picked up extra bartending shifts between acting gigs and was working later than usual that night, his mom said. He left with three co-workers, two of whom went in a separate direction before Wactor and the woman he was walking with were confronted.
Wactor was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead a short time later. The suspects remain at large.
Grant confirmed that Johnny was shot in the chest when he encountered the suspects trying to steal the catalytic converter.
He added that the cops told him Johnny did not try to fight the car thieves but was backing away and trying to protect his friend when the shot was fired.
He paid a solemn tribute to his brother and noted that working a side job was part of his nature.
"My brother was probably the hardest working person I've ever met in my life. He was a great brother and son," Grant said.
"Anyone he touched, he made a great impact. He was as charismatic in real life as he was on camera. And he was always genuine, through and through."
Grant naturally hopes that the men who killed Johnny are brought to justice.
