US actor Jonathan Joss' sexual orientation played a key role in his fatal shooting? Check details
Jonathan Joss was shot dead several times in Texas during an argument with a neighbour, cops said. Joss was pronounced dead on the scene at his property in San Antonio, Texas. Tristan Kern de Gonzales, the husband of the King of the Hill star Jonathan Joss that he was shot dead by a homophobic man.
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Was Jonathan Joss killed because he was a gay?
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Jonathan Joss shot dead several times in Texas
US actor Jonathan Joss , a voice actor best known for his work on the animated television series 'King of the Hill,' was fatally shot near his Texas home, authorities said Monday. Jonathan Joss' husband, Tristan Kern de Gonzales , released a statement on June 2, claiming the person who shot and killed Joss was "homophobic" and yelling "violent" slurs. However, Texas police said they have found no evidence to support that fatal shooting of Jonathan Joss was a homophobic attack , despite his husband's claims to the contrary.In a statement, de Gonzales said he and Joss had previously faced harassment, much of it 'openly homophobic.' Joss' husband said the person who killed the actor yelled 'violent homophobic slurs' before opening fire. 'He was murdered by someone who could not stand the sight of two men loving each other,' de Gonzales said, according to news agency AP.'My husband Jonathan Joss and I were involved in a shooting while checking the mail at the site of our former home,' the statement began. 'That home was burned down after over two years of threats from people in the area who repeatedly told us they would set it on fire. We reported these threats to law enforcement multiple times and nothing was done.''Throughout that time we were harassed regularly by individuals who made it clear they did not accept our relationship,' he went on to share. 'Much of the harassment was openly homophobic.'According to the post, Joss and Gonzales allegedly found the remains of one of their dogs left out for them to see when they visited the property that day, causing them "severe emotional distress."'We began yelling and crying in response to the pain of what we saw," he explained. "While we were doing this a man approached us. He started yelling violent homophobic slurs at us. He then raised a gun from his lap and fired.'He continued: '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,' Gonzales wrote. 'I was with him when he passed. I told him how much he was loved. To everyone who supported him, his fans, his friends, know that he valued you deeply. He saw you as family. My focus now is on protecting Jonathan's legacy and honoring the life we built together.''Jonathan saved my life,' the post concluded. 'I will carry that forward. I will protect what he built.'In his Facebook post, Gonzales said they have endured such open humiliation over their relationship for years which they reported to the cops but there was no help. Gonzales said they were unarmed, they did not threaten anyone when they were attacked.But cops have denied the allegations. '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 San Antonio Police Department wrote in a statement on X on Monday.'SAPD investigators handle these allegations very seriously and have thoroughly reviewed all available information,' the department added, 'Should any new evidence come to light, the suspect will be charged accordingly.'Jonathan Joss, who voiced the character John Redcorn for seasons two through 13 of the popular animated series, was reportedly shot multiple times over the weekend after a disagreement with a neighbor. San Antonio police responded to a home after reports of shots fired and found Joss near the road with gunshot wounds, according to Variety. He was pronounced dead at the scene.The suspect Sogfredo Alvarez Ceja has been arrested for killing Jonathan Joss after their heated argument. Though the actor's neighbors claimed Joss was not a good neighbor and used to do weird things.Residents described Joss as a loud and unpredictable neighbor. They recalled frequent outbursts, including late-night pan banging from his rooftop, pacing the street while yelling, and shouting incoherently.'Even when he stared us down or hurled insults, we just ignored him,' one neighbor told My San Antonio. Another said Joss often claimed to be God, prompting concerned neighbors to call the police. According to reports, San Antonio police responded to his residence at least 40 times since January 2024, for issues ranging from mental health crises and welfare checks to neighborhood disturbances.(With inputs from AP)
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