The actor Johnny Wactor from “General Hospital” was shot and killed early Saturday morning when he saw three men trying to steal the catalytic converter from his car, according to a police source familiar with the case.
An officer with the Los Angeles Police Department, Jader Chaves, said that the killing happened at 3:25 a.m. when the owner of a car saw three people trying to steal a part from the car near Pico Boulevard and Hope Street. One of the thieves shot the man, and then all three of them got away in a car, Chaves said. The police officer didn’t say who the victim was, but they did say that he was taken to the hospital and declared dead there.
The Times was told on Sunday that the victim was Wactor, who played Brando Corbin on “General Hospital” from 2020 to 2022. He had parts in other TV shows too, like “Station 19,” “Westworld,” and “Criminal Minds.”
Wactor worked as a bartender in downtown L.A. on Saturday night. His brother, Grant Wactor, told The Times on Sunday that Wactor was walking a coworker to her car at the end of their shift. While he was on the way, he saw a group of men gathered around his car. He spoke to them because he thought they were trying to tow him away.
He was shot at that point.
Police say the thieves wanted Wactor’s catalytic converter. The device that controls exhaust emissions is usually under the car’s chassis and is made of valuable metals like platinum, rhodium, and palladium. Thieves can make a lot of money by selling them to places that sell car parts or scrap metal, where the valuable metals can be taken out and melted down.
John Wactor’s younger brother Grant said, “My mom is tough as nails, but she’s broken to the bone.” “He needs to go back to Charleston, South Carolina.” It’s a shame. It looks like the wrong place and time happened.”
Wactor, who is 37 years old, quit “General Hospital” in 2022 after his well-liked character was killed off. To Soap Opera Digest at the time, he said that he liked how many loyal fans the show had.
“It was all new to me, and it was a blessing,” he stated. “It was fun to go to work and then be excited to see how people responded to the stories I was writing.” “It was really cool that they cared.”
Grant Wactor said that his brother has always been interested in playing. Johnny was born and raised in Summerville, South Carolina. In elementary and high school, he joined every play he could. His acting career began soon after he graduated from the College of Charleston in 2009. He packed up his Honda Civic and drove across the country to Los Angeles.
Grant Wactor said, “I can’t stress enough how hard he worked.” He liked to play Scrabble so much that he would flip the board at home. He was one of the most interesting people I knew, though. Since you could tell it was real when he talked or listened.
Johnny Wactor had been looking into script jobs while working as a bartender for a short time.
Grant Wactor said, “He lived his life his way.” At the very end, he did exactly what he set out to do. Every day, that’s what he was. “He walked the walk.”
On Sunday, Wactor’s death, many of his former coworkers shared their sadness on social media.
Parry Shen, who used to be on “General Hospital,” said on X, “Johnny Wactor had a beautiful soul.” “We all were cheated of many years with him.”
Jon Lindstrom, who has been on the ABC soap opera for a long time, wrote on Facebook, “I am literally sick to my stomach at this news.” Wactor was “one of those rare young men in this business who was kind, unassuming, humble.”
In a statement, “General Hospital” said that the soap show family was “heartbroken to hear of Johnny Wactor’s untimely death.” He was truly unique, and it was always a pleasure to work with him. During this hard time, our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends.
Sofia Mattsson, who plays his love interest on the show, said, “So real.” Such care. Very humble and very hardworking. With a big heart that brought lots of happiness and kindness. He made sure everyone saw, heard, and loved him all the time. He was a great man, and I’m better for having known him.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, thefts of catalytic converters went through the roof in California. Some people thought this was because the economy was getting worse. Because of this trend, some states passed laws that make it illegal for recyclers to buy the part from anyone other than the legal owner or a registered dealer. The laws also make it more serious for buyers who don’t prove that a catalytic converter wasn’t stolen.
