General Hospital star’s mom hails slain son a ‘hero’ for saving co-worker’s life in robbery gone wrong
Johnny Wactor was shielding a colleague when he was shot and killed in Los Angeles as thieves tried to steal a catalytic converter from his car, his family said
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The mother of General Hospital star Johnny Wactor – who was shot dead in downtown Los Angeles this weekend while protecting a co-worker – spoke out on Tuesday morning, revealing her son’s final tragic moments.
Wactor, 37, was killed early Saturday morning by three men who were trying to steal a catalytic converter from his vehicle, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. Wactor had been walking a colleague to her car after their bartending shift when they stumbled upon the thieves. His mother, Scarlett, told NBC News’ Morgan Chesky that the actor initially thought they were towing his car.
“He said, ‘Hey man, you’re towing my car,’” Scarlett said. “And when the person looked up, they had on a mask. And Johnny stepped in front of the co-worker, and he was shot.”
Scarlett said she would “use the word hero” to describe her son’s actions at the end of his life.
“I’m thankful that that person is OK, and that when he died, he wasn’t alone,” she continued.
Meanwhile, Scarlett called her son’ attackers “cowards.”
“As a parent, you never expect to bury a child,” she said.
The Los Angeles Police Department has yet to make any arrests after the suspects fled the scene in another vehicle.
“I hope that they will catch whoever did it,” Scarlett said. “I hope that there will be some kind of justice for Johnny.”
The 37-year-old was known for playing Brando Corbin on the long-running soap opera General Hospital, appearing in 164 episodes from 2020 to 2022.
Wactor’s General Hospital co-stars Parry Shen and Jon Lindstrom paid tribute to the actor on social media:
“Johnny Wactor was a beautiful, beautiful soul,” Shen wrote. “So talented. As you can see from the promo clip, always up for anything. Funny as all heck.”
Lindstrom wrote: “When the tears slow down, I am literally sick to my stomach at this news. Johnny was one of those rare young men in this business who was kind, unassuming, humble, and always thought about other people. A talented young guy who just wanted to share that talent with the world.”