Former 'General Hospital' actor Johnny Wactor killed in downtown Los Angeles shooting

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Former “General Hospital” actor Johnny Wactor was shot and killed when he interrupted thieves stealing the catalytic converter from his car in Los Angeles, his family said Sunday.

The shooting occurred around 3 a.m. Saturday when the victim approached three men in downtown LA, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.

His mother, Scarlett Wactor, told ABC 7 that her 37-year-old son had left work at a rooftop bar with a coworker when he saw someone at his car and thought it was being towed. A mask-wearing suspect opened fire, his mother said.

Three suspects drove away from the scene, police said. Wactor was rushed to a hospital, where he died.

There were no arrests as of late Sunday.

Wactor's agent, David Shaul, said the actor was “a real moral example to everyone who knew him.”

“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 said in a statement Sunday. “Our time with Johnny was a privilege we would wish on everyone. He would literally give you the shirt off his back. After over a decade together, he will leave a hole in our hearts forever.”

Wactor portrayed Brando Corbin on the ABC soap opera from 2020 to 2022. He also appeared in a variety of films and TV series, including “Station 19,” “NCIS,” “Westworld” and the video game “Call of Duty: Vanguard.”

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This story first moved May 26, 2024, and was updated on May 28, 2024 with photos of Wactor on the set of “General Hospital.”