GENERAL Hospital actor Johnny Wactor has died at the age of 37.
The actor, who appeared in nearly 200 episodes of the drama series, was shot and killed in Los Angeles on Saturday morning.
His mother, Scarlett, broke the news to TMZ.
She revealed the incident occurred after her son and his co-worker left their job at a rooftop bar in the early hours of the morning.
The two were parked two blocks away from the restaurant.
Johnny’s brother Grant said he wasn’t surprised he walked his female co-worker to her car, as that’s what they were taught growing up.
“We’re Southern, born and raised, and we would never let a female walk to their car by herself,” Grant explained.
Johnny saw commotion around his car upon arrival, which he thought meant he was getting towed.
As he got closer to find out further information, he noticed three men were messing with his car.
While the actor didn’t attempt to confront or fight them, Johnny was shot by a masked man before the group took off, Scarlett told ABC7.
Paramedics arrived on scene around 3 am and took Johnny to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
According to the outlet, the description matched a reported incident in which three suspects attempted to steal a catalytic converter.
While no suspects have been named, Johnny’s mother said she hopes they will be found soon.
He is survived by his mother and younger brothers Grant and Lance.
On social media, fans of the General Hospital actor have been sharing their condolences to his family.
“RIP #JohnnyWactor. This world is such a cruel place. :(,” one person wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
“How sad to learn of the death of Johnny Wactor so young and in such conditions! A star will shine brighter tonight [star] Condolences to his family and all the actor’s fans,” a second tweeted.
“Another devastating blow to the #GH family. Rest in Peace, Johnny Wactor. Our time with you was way too short,” another said.
“I am beyond words about Johnny Wactor, a life that was taken without cause. I hope whoever did this spend the rest of their life in prison,” someone else tweeted.
Johnny was born on 31 August 1986 in Charleston, South Carolina.
He most notably played Brando Corbin on General Hospital, who was married to Sasha Corbin (Sofia Mattsson) in the series.
He played the role from 2020 until 2022 when his character was written off the ABC series.
Johnny began his career in 2007 playing various roles on the Lifetime show Army Wives.
He went on to appear in hit shows such as NCIS, Criminal Minds, Station 19, The OA, and Westworld.
Johnny’s passing comes just months after General Hospital lost another one of its stars, Robyn Bernard.
Robyn was found dead in San Jacinto, California on March 12.
She was 64 years old.
One of the earlier actors, she played Terry Brock on the drama series for about six years in the 1980s.
According to a Riverside County Coroner report, she died at 4 am in an open field behind a business.
Officials responded to a death investigation call, where Robyn was then identified with her fingerprints.
Last year, General Hospital fans also grieved the loss of legendary actress Jacklyn Zeman, who died at the age of 70.
Jacklyn passed away on May 10, 2023, following her battle with cancer.
General Hospital producer Frank Valentini announced the news on X at the time.
