General Hospital star Johnny Wactor’s injuries are revealed by coroner four days after he was gunned down by car thieves in Los Angeles
General Hospital star Johnny Wactor died of a “gunshot wound to the chest,” his autopsy report confirms.
The Los Angeles County medical examiner-coroner officially ruled his death a homicide on Wednesday, four days after he was shot by car thieves.
Police have released new details hours earlier about the shocking late-night shooting in South Park, Los Angeles, as they hunt for the killer and two accomplices.
Wactor was walking to his car on South Hope Street near West Pico Boulevard around 3:25 a.m. Saturday after finishing his shift as a bartender.
General Hospital star Johnny Wactor died of a “gunshot wound to the chest,” his autopsy report confirms
When he got to the car, “he was confronted by three individuals who had jacked up Wactor’s vehicle and were in the process of stealing the catalytic converter,” police said, citing witness statements.
“The victim was shot by one of the individuals without provocation.”
The suspects, wearing masks and dark clothing, got into a dark-colored sedan and fled north on Hope St, police said.
A catalytic converter controls exhaust emissions and is typically found in the undercarriage of a vehicle.
It contains precious metals that can be sold piecemeal for a profit, especially to auto parts suppliers or scrap yards, where they are melted down for their valuables.
Wactor’s younger brother Grant previously told DailyMail.com that the former soap star was protecting a female colleague when he was shot.
Believing he was being dragged away, Wactor approached the men to try to talk it out. One of the men then looked up and pointed a gun at Wactor, who laid his body in front of his colleague when he was shot.
Wactor was walking to his car on South Hope Street near West Pico Boulevard around 3:25 a.m. Saturday after finishing his shift as a bartender.
Wactor was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead a short time later. The suspects remain on the run.
“He ran into them and thought his truck was being towed. So he said something to the guys, like, ‘Hey, are you towing?'” he said.
“And once he turned around, he saw what was happening and put his colleague behind him. And then they shot him.”
Grant added that police told him Wactor did not try to fight the car thieves, and retreated and tried to protect his friend when he was shot.
Wactor’s grandmother Barbara said he often took on side gigs as a bartender. Neither she nor Grant knew which bar he was working at that night.
Grant said Johnny and his coworker had to park about two blocks from the restaurant, so they walked to their car after finishing their shift.
Wactor, seen here with costar Laura Wright, starred on the long-running soap from 2020 to 2022 and was a star in the making
Wactor (pictured with General Hospital co-star Sofia Mattsson) was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead a short time later
Wactor’s godmother Michaelle Kinard started a fundraising campaign to pay for the settlement of his affairs and the transfer of his body to South Carolina for burial.
The money will allow his mother Scarlett and brothers Lance and Grant to travel more than 2,000 miles from Charleston — a trip she said they would have to make several times to make sure everything was in order.
“My brother was probably the hardest working person I ever met in my life. He was a great brother and son,” Grant said.
‘Everyone he touched made a big impression. He was as charismatic in real life as he was on camera. And he was always sincere, through and through.
“I hope they can trace the people who did this.”
About 600,000 catalytic converters are stolen every year. Most cars are equipped with one inverter, but cars with a dual exhaust system require two.
Wactor (left) with his mother and two brothers, flying to LA to settle his affairs
Wactor is pictured with his mother Scarlett, who has said her son did not try to fight the thieves. The family said they are heartbroken and hope to bury their son in his native South Carolina
Larger vehicles such as SUVs and trucks may have more than two. They cost about $1,000 to replace.
Stolen catalytic converters are passed through middlemen, smelters and refineries in the US and abroad, and can usually be stolen within a minute.
Wactor appeared in more than 160 episodes of General Hospital from 2020 to 2022 as the character Brando Corbin.
The actor was also a series regular on the 2013 NBC drama series Siberia, which ran for eleven episodes.
He went on to have multi-episode arcs on TV shows like The OA, The Passenger, Westworld, and Hollywood Girl.