Police retract ‘premature' hate crime denial in Jonathan Joss shooting
San Antonio police have retracted their statement claiming there was no evidence indicating that the fatal shooting of Jonathan Joss was a hate crime, saying their initial declaration was 'premature.'
Joss, best known for voicing John Redcorn on animated comedy King of the Hill, was shot dead outside his home in San Antonio on Sunday. His neighbour, 56-year-old Sigfredo Alvarez Ceja, has since been arrested on a murder charge.
View image in full screen
In this handout photo released by the Bexar County Sheriff's Office, suspect Sigfredo Ceja Alvarez poses for a booking photo on June 2, 2025 in San Antonio. He was booked on suspicion of murder of Jonathan Joss, a voice actor on the television show 'King of the Hill.'. Bexar County Sheriff's Office / Getty Images
The cause of death was 'injuries sustained after multiple gun shots,' police confirmed.
Story continues below advertisement
In a statement the following day, San Antonio police said that '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.'
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 the Mr. Joss's murder was related to his sexual orientation.
— San Antonio PD (@SATXPolice) June 2, 2025
The statement caused widespread anger and upset, particularly with Joss' widower, Tristan Kern de Gonzales, who said he believes his husband's killing was because of his sexual orientation.
Get breaking National news
For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up
By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy
'Jonathan Joss is my husband,' Kern de Gonzales said in a TikTok post. 'I don't say 'was' because he will always be my husband. He will always be the love of my life.
View image in full screen
Jonathan Joss's cause of death was from 'injuries sustained after multiple gun shots.' Jonathan Joss / Facebook
'I'm gonna keep talking about not only what happened on the day of my husband's death, but also, we're gonna share just everything about Jonathan and everything that he stood for. We're gonna laugh together. We're gonna cry together. We're gonna be angry together.
Story continues below advertisement
'We won't stop talking about this. I'm not going to let the SAPD or anyone else silence the fact that this was a hate crime, and I just won't be silenced.
'I may not be as loud as my husband, but I carry his strength with me. I won't stop fighting for what I know is right and for my love.'
On Thursday, Police Chief William P. McManus retracted the force's initial comments.
'Shouldn't have done it. [It] was way too soon before we had real information, and I will own that,' McManus said in reference to making the statement. 'It was way too early in the process for any statement of that nature to be issued.
'We understand that many in the LGBTQ+ community are feeling anxious and concerned. A lot of it has to do with that premature statement that we released, and again, I own that. Shouldn't have done it.'
In Texas, hate crimes are not charged as a separate offence, but rather as an enhancement to the penalties for the underlying crime, McManus explained.
'We gather the facts and we give those facts to the district attorney's office, and that hate crime designation is determined at sentencing, but we don't charge hate crime.'
Story continues below advertisement
According to police records obtained by NBC, Joss and Kern de Gonzalez had encountered issues with their neighbours before the fatal shooting.
According to the outlet, Kern de Gonzalez says he and his husband were bombarded with homophobic slurs from their neighbours, often resulting in calls to the police made both by Joss and others in his neighbourhood.
McManus said on Thursday that in the past two years, his department had received 70 calls involving neighbourhood spats.
The police chief said the mental health unit had 'extensive engagements with Mr. Joss, making repeated efforts to remediate conflicts and connect him with services he may have needed.'
The investigation into Joss' death is ongoing.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Global News
10 hours ago
- Global News
Artists craft unique Edmonton Oilers pieces during Stanley Cup final
The Edmonton Oilers playoff energy has several fans getting crafty. Ashley Sinclair has been making emotional support playoff chickens for the past year, after learning to crochet while pregnant when she had to pause some of her other hobbies. 'I had terrible morning sickness so I needed something that was really slow and didn't involve a lot of moving around,' Sinclair said. 'I taught myself how to crochet and then got really into that.' She started making blue, orange and white 'emotional support' chickens during the 2024 cup run to help ease her nerves during games. View image in full screen Crafter Ashley Sinclair croches Edmonton Oilers-themed emotional support chickens. Global News Sinclair sold a bunch at a crafting market and word got around. Now, sales have taken off as the playoff pressure mounts for fans. Story continues below advertisement 'As soon as my son goes down to bed, I have between 7:30 p.m. and about 1 or 2 a.m. where I'm getting orders ready, sending out emails and just trying to get the chickens out to the coop.' On a good night, Sinclair says she can get about three dozen done. View image in full screen Crafter Ashley Sinclair croches Edmonton Oilers-themed emotional support chickens. Global News Between April 30 and June 5, hundreds of orders came in — so many, Sinclair recruited help from fellow crafters. 'Crochet is a 100-per cent handmade craft — no shortcuts, no machines, nothing. So as soon as orders started to come in, I reached out to a few of my friends in the crochet community.' Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Now, she has five friends helping. On Thursday night, she had her 1000th order come in. Story continues below advertisement 'Totally unexpected,' Sinclair said. 'When it started to take off I'm like, 'Oh maybe we'll sell like 50 chickens that'd be cool.' Then it just kept going and going and going and now we're at a 1,006,' she said on Friday ahead of Game 2. View image in full screen Crafter Ashley Sinclair croches Edmonton Oilers-themed emotional support chickens. Global News The orange and blue plushy is filled with exactly 97 grams of weighted poly pellets, to represent captain Connor McDavid's jersey number. 'I'm in this for as long as people want these chickens.' Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "I'm in this for as long as people want these chickens." Along with the chickens, Sinclair says she's also selling chicken-themed stickers. The proceeds from those are going to the Ben Stelter Foundation. So far, she's raised $400. View image in full screen Crafter Ashley Sinclair croches Edmonton Oilers-themed emotional support chickens. Global News Other crafters are also flexing their artistic abilities in unique ways. Story continues below advertisement Wainwright, Alta., artist Jordyn Prior paints custom cow and buffalo skulls and recently completed an Oilers-themed piece. 'Our family is die-hard Oilers fans, so it was just a natural thing,' Prior said, explaining if she were to work on just the skulls it would take about three full days of work to complete — but with her day job and farm choirs, her Oilers skull took her three weeks to complete. 'I've been doing it when I have time on and off in the evenings — they do take a lot of time to come to fruition.' Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "I've been doing it when I have time on and off in the evenings — they do take a lot of time to come to fruition." View image in full screen Wainwright, Alta. artist Jordyn Prior paints custom cow and buffalo skulls and recently completed an Oilers-themed piece. Jordyn Prior First, the skull needs to be boiled to remove any remaining fats, tissues or oils. Then, Prior said she pressure-washes the skull and leaves it in the sun for a few days to dry completely. Story continues below advertisement Before beginning to decorate the bones, any cracks need to be filled and sanded down. Preparing and attaching the horns afterwards is also a detailed process. 'Each skull has its own story.' Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "Each skull has its own story." She took up the craft after being taken under the wing of her great uncle Keith, who has been painting skulls for over 20 years. 'He teaches me everything I need to know, from how to clean and prepare to how to paint and attach the horns and everything,' Prior said, explaining they get together to work on their passion every two months. 'It's been a really cool experience and we both have a lot of fun with it now.' View image in full screen Wainwright, Alta. artist Jordyn Prior and her great uncle Keith paint custom cow and buffalo skulls. Supplied The duo source their skulls from neighbours, local farmers and butcher shops. Their work isn't cheap — cow skulls usually sell anywhere from $300-$1,500, and buffalo skulls range from $1,200-1,500 — but it's one of a kind. Story continues below advertisement 'To put things into perspective, if you want just a raw buffalo head that's not cleaned, it's usually $250 to buy one of those. If you want a cleaned buffalo skull with no paint on, it's usually $600,' she said. 'So that's why these pieces are a little bit more pricey because they're unique and they're specialized and they are very rare, right?' Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "So that's why these pieces are a little bit more pricey because they're unique and they're specialized and they are very rare, right?"
Global News
11 hours ago
- Global News
Const. Daniel Woodall School honours 10th anniversary of EPS officer's death
At Constable Daniel Woodall School, a ceremony was held Friday honoured the life and legacy of the Edmonton Police Service officer, 10 years after he made the ultimate sacrifice. Dan Woodall was killed in the line of duty on June 8, 2015 in west Edmonton, where he and his fellow members of the hate crimes unit were attempting to make an arrest at a home in Callingwood. The 35-year-old officer was shot through the door of a home. Another officer, a southwest division patrol member, was shot in the lower back but survived. 'I was working that day, and I remember quite vividly responding to the event. It's hard to believe sometimes…it's already been 10 years, but it feels like it was just yesterday,' Deputy Chief Nicole Chapdelaine said. Const. Daniel Woodall, of the EPS Hate Crimes Unit, poses in this undated handout photo. In the years since, Woodall has been honoured at two locations in Edmonton: at a park in the southwest Terwillegar area, where he lived with his wife and two young sons, and also on the other side of Anthony Henday Drive. Story continues below advertisement There, in the Windermere area, sits Constable Daniel Woodall School, which is clad in blue, yellow and black siding that mirrors the colours of the Edmonton Police Service. View image in full screen Const. Daniel Woodall School, named after the last Edmonton Police Service officer who died in the line of duty in 2015, strung blue ribbons and changed their school sign in solidarity for Const. Travis Jordan and Const. Brett Ryan, who were killed on the job Thursday, March 16, 2023. Global News The school opened in 2017 and every year students take the time to remember Woodall and his service to the community. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 'I think anytime a school is named after someone, it is our job, it's our responsibility, to ensure that students know why it was named after them and what that person embodies, and then to learn from that,' principal Leanne Moncrieff said. During the ceremony students talked about Woodall's life, shared poetry and music. They also heard from his friends and colleagues. 'This school is going to continue to have a legacy of students who are going to enter the community and make a difference, whatever they choose to do,' Chapdelaine said. Story continues below advertisement The school also presented its inaugural Legacy Award to a Grade 6 student who exemplifies Woodall's core values of safety, diversity, community and belonging. 'This award is really gonna help me remember Constable Daniel Woodall and my elementary years, when I go into middle school next year, and it's going to help keep on the legacy,' Legacy Award winner Maizie Stewart said. View image in full screen Maple tree planted in front of Constable Daniel Woodall School. Global News As a lasting symbol of Woodall's roots in the community, a maple tree will also be planted in front of the school. 'These things will continue to exist for people to have moments when they need them to remember Dan, remember the sacrifice he made on behalf of the community,' Chapdelaine said.
Global News
13 hours ago
- Global News
Toronto man who deliberately shot an unarmed stranger given life sentence
A Toronto man who shot and killed an unarmed stranger has been sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for 18 years. Superior Court Justice Maureen Forestell called the murder of John Wheeler 'profoundly serious' give it was the result of the fact that 18-year-old Christopher Mitchell wanted to avoid potentially being apprehended by police for a break-and-enter. Last October, Mitchell pleaded guilty to second-degree murder admitting that on Aug. 12, 2020, he shot and killed Wheeler with a shotgun outside the apartment building at 1350 Danforth Rd. where Wheeler lived. Mitchell and another person attended the apartment complex with the intention of breaking into a convenience store. They were in an alcove near the store when Wheeler emerged from the lobby of the apartment building to make his way to work. Wheeler glanced in the direction of the alcove and looked at his phone before moving to the driveway to wait for his ride to work. Mr. Mitchell believed that Mr. Wheeler was contacting the police. Mr. Mitchell removed a shotgun from the duffel bag he was carrying. He crept up behind Mr. Wheeler and shot him in the back. Story continues below advertisement Wheeler, a 45-year-old man who delivered drywall for a living, had texted his friend to tell him he was outside and ready to be picked up. In victim impact statements delivered in court Monday, Wheeler, who was 45 and the youngest of 12 children, was described as a kind, funny, hardworking and generous man. Reading from her reasons for sentence, Forestell said, 'The loss of a loved one is always difficult but when that loss is the result of senseless violence it is even more painful. In addition to the impact on the family and friends of Mr. Wheeler, crimes like this one impact the entire community. A good, hardworking man waiting to go to work was shot and killed in a targeted manner. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 'This type of offence undermines our collective sense of safety and security in our community.' A psychological report prepared by Dr. Giorgio Ilacqua found that Mitchell, the eldest of four siblings, suffered significant physical abuse as a child. As a result, he was placed in group home and foster care by age 15 because of the physical abuse. Court heard that Mitchell was raised by his mother because his father was in the criminal justice system and has had no contact with his father for the last five years. He also also been diagnosed with mental illnesses and a substance abuse disorder. Story continues below advertisement 'At around 12 years of age, Mr. Mitchell began to hear voices. He was assessed at one point at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health and was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and anxiety. However, he did not receive any treatment or medication for these conditions until after his arrest on the charge before me. He is presently taking antipsychotic medication and antidepressants,' Forestell said. Court heard Mitchell has also abused substances since age 11. Mr. Mitchell admitted Ilacqua that he became involved in criminal activity in his teens and that this included selling drugs. Mr. Mitchell left school after Grade 10. While attending school he was frequently suspended, including for fighting, stabbing and guns. Since his incarceration, Mr. Mitchell has completed high school and has begun college-level courses. While in custody, Mr. Mitchell has also pursued Bible study. Ilacqua administered a series of psychological tests. He diagnosed Mitchell with post-traumatic stress Disorder with psychotic features, depression, anxiety and substance use disorder. He relates these conditions to Mr. Mitchell's dysfunctional childhood and the abuse that he experienced. The risk assessment conducted by Ilacqua places Mr. Mitchell at high risk for future involvement in the justice system but Ilacqua opines that appropriate monitoring, structure and intervention could likely decrease the risk. During an interview with Global News outside the courthouse, Wheeler's niece said the family was anxious for the sentencing to be finished after nearly five years. Arlene Stuckless said she was angry for years and has been through an emotional rollercoaster. Story continues below advertisement 'There are a lot of people who could be watching this right now, going, 'Oh, this poor family, it's not going to happen to us' but you don't know honestly,' said Stuckless. Stuckless said she is hopeful that Mitchell can be rehabilitated and wants to see more social services for young men like Mitchell who come from broken homes. 'They're only outlet is to be running on the streets and then they get hooked up with the wrong people, they get their hands on that gun and they think they're big tough guys and they're not,' said Stuckless. Wheeler's niece said the family believes a life sentence with a parole ineligibility period of 18 years is a sentence that should give Mitchell time to work on himself. 'For him to be incarcerated that long — hopefully, he doesn't get involved with the wrong people and go to the wrong path and he takes the time he's given and he does something good with his life and then when he does getting out of jail, he can help other young, maybe,' Stuckless added.
