The Los Angeles Police Department reportedly executed multiple search warrants in connection with the murder of “General Hospital” star Johnny Wactor on Thursday.
Multiple law enforcement sources said there were suspects that were the focus of the investigation into the soap opera star’s death, according to ABC News. The law enforcement sources indicated some suspects may be detained in relation to this investigation, according to ABC News.
Wactor was reportedly shot “without provocation” at 3:25 am after he concluded a work shift at a bar and was walking toward his car. Three people allegedly had his car “raised up with a floor jack and were in the process of stealing the catalytic converter” confronted and shot him, according to ABC News.
LOS ANGELES, CA – SEPTEMBER 12: Actor Johnny Wactor attends the Get Lucky for Lupus 5th anniversary poker tournament held at the Petersen Automotive Museum on September 12, 2013 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Tommaso Boddi/WireImage) Getty Images
Wactor’s mother Scarlett Wactor urged Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and District Attorney George Gascón to strengthen the criminal justice system in a press conference, Tuesday.
“It needs to start with LA. People watch you from across the country. And this is where change needs to start,” Scarlett Wactor said.
She made an emotional appeal for justice.
“I’m beginning to sound like a broken record, but grief is my constant companion,” she said, according to ABC News.
BEVERLY HILLS, CA – MARCH 16: Actor Johnny Wactor attends the Queen Of The Universe International Beauty Pageant hosted at the Saban Theatre on March 16, 2014 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Jennifer Lourie/FilmMagic) Getty Images
Police released images of the three suspects and the black Infiniti Q50 sedan allegedly used to flee the scene in August and appealed to the public to help them identify the culprits. The vehicle is believed to be stolen.
The suspect accused of shooting Wactor has a tattoo above the left eye and on the right cheek, police said, according to NBC News.
Family and friends said Wactor died a hero. They stated he stepped in front of a female colleague to try to protect her amid the altercation, according the outlet.
“They had a mask on and they pulled out a gun,” Wactor’s friend, Colin Flynn, told ABC News. “And from what I understand, Johnny literally stood in between himself and his colleague. And the shooter just pulled the trigger and ran away.”
Breaking: Three gang members have been arrested in the Johnny Wactor murder. More to come.https://t.co/KyS2SHzPpa
— TMZ (@TMZ) August 15, 2024
Wactor played a recurring character in “General Hospital” from 2020 to 2022 and appeared in “Criminal Minds,” “Siberia” and “Westworld.” (RELATED: MMA Fighter Ramon Taveras Survives Horrifying Drive-By Shooting, Shares Surveillance Video)
No further details have been released at this time.
