A former "General Hospital" actor was fatally shot while reportedly shielding a female coworker from a pistol-packing thief who was trying to steal the catalytic converter from his truck.
Johnny Wactor, 37, was leaving his side job as a bartender in Los Angeles with the woman early Saturday when he spotted three men near the vehicle, according to the Daily Mail.
Wactor approached the men, one of whom looked up and pointed a gun, prompting Wactor to back away and protect the woman before he was shot, the Mail said, citing the actor's younger brother, Grant Wactor.
"He came across them and he thought his truck was being towed. So he said something to the guys, like, 'Hey, are you towing?'" Grant Wactor said. "And then once he turned around, he saw what was happening and he put his coworker behind him. And that's when they shot him."
The crooks fled in another vehicle and Johnny Wactor was rushed to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.
No arrests have been made.
Johnny Wactor played "Brando Corbin" on General Hospital from 2020 to 2022, when the character was written out of the long-running ABC soap opera, the Los Angeles Times said.
In a statement, the show said Johnny Wactor "was truly one of a kind and a pleasure to work with each and every day. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his loved ones during this difficult time."
He also appeared on the HBO series "Westworld," and wrote and starred in the 2022 short film "Broken Riders," according to the IMDb website.
Catalytic converters, which are components in vehicle exhaust systems, are made with precious metals including platinum and can be sold for as much as $1,200 each, according to the Edmunds car pricing website.
