Jonathan Joss of Parks and Recreation killed in ‘homophobic shooting'
The Parks and Recreation actor Jonathan Joss has been killed in what his husband described as a homophobic shooting.
The star was shot by a neighbour on Sunday night during an argument, the San Antonio police department said.
Investigators identified and charged Sigfredo Ceja Alvarez, 56, with murder after the altercation, the department said on Monday.
Sigfredo Ceja Alvarez has been charged with murder
BEXAR COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE/GETTY IMAGES
Joss, 59, also known as the voice of John Redcorn in King of the Hill, was pronounced dead outside his former home in San Antonio, Texas, after an attempt to revive him.
The police have not provided details on what led to the dispute but Joss's husband, Tristan Kern de Gonzales, has said it was a hate crime.
Kern de Gonzales said that he and Joss had been checking the post at the site of their former home, which had burned down in January, an incident that killed two of the couple's dogs.
Joss was killed at the site of his former home
The pair discovered the skull of one of their dogs, Kern de Gonzales said.
'This caused both of us severe emotional distress. We began yelling and crying in response to the pain of what we saw,' Kern de Gonzales wrote on Joss's Facebook page on Monday.
He claimed a man approached them and began 'yelling violent homophobic slurs' before raising a gun and firing.
Kern de Gonzales wrote: 'Jonathan and I had no weapons. We were not threatening anyone. We were grieving. We were standing side by side. When the man fired, Jonathan pushed me out of the way. He saved my life.
'He was murdered by someone who could not stand the sight of two men loving each other.'
Joss voiced the character John Redcorn in King of the Hill, which was set for a reboot this year
ALAMY
The police department issued a statement saying it had found no evidence that Joss's murder was related to his sexual orientation.
It said: 'SAPD Homicide is currently investigating the murder of Mr Jonathan Joss. Despite online claims of this being a hate crime, currently the investigation has found no evidence to indicate that Mr Joss's murder was related to his sexual orientation.'
The force added that investigators took the allegations 'very seriously' and the suspect would be charged accordingly 'should any new evidence come to light'.
Joss played Chief Ken Hotate in Parks and Recreation. Recently, he appeared in Sylvester Stallone's Paramount+ series Tulsa King.
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