'King of the Hill' actor shot dead outside home

Jonathan Joss was fatally shot by a neighbor who was 'yelling violent homophobic slurs,' says his husband

Amy Poehler and Jonathan Joss in "Parks and Recreation"
Joss' husband said the pair had faced years of 'openly homophobic' harassment
(Image credit: Ben Cohen / NBCU Photo Bank / NBCUniversal via Getty Images)

What happened

Jonathan Joss, the actor best known for voicing "King of the Hill" character John Redcorn, was fatally shot Sunday night outside his fire-gutted San Antonio home, police said Monday. He was 59. A neighbor, Sigfredo Ceja Alvarez, was arrested and charged with murder. Joss' husband, Tristan Kern de Gonzales, said the shooter "started yelling violent homophobic slurs at us" before firing.

Who said what

Joss "lost his three dogs and South Side childhood home to a house fire" in January, saying at the time that "when he emerged from his burned home carrying a deceased dog, at least one neighbor laughed at him," the San Antonio News-Express said. Gonzales said on social media that he and Joss had faced "years of threats" and "openly homophobic" harassment before the fire, and Joss "was murdered by someone who could not stand the sight of two men loving each other."

"Our investigation has found no evidence whatsoever to indicate that Mr. Joss' murder was related to his sexual orientation," the San Antonio police said in a statement. "Should any new evidence come to light, we will charge the suspect accordingly."

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What next?

Joss, who was of Apache and Comanche descent, "often played Native American roles during his roughly three-decade acting career," including in a recurring role in "Parks and Recreation," The New York Times said. He was set to return to "King of the Hill" in a revival launching in August. In an Instagram post on Saturday, Joss said he had already done voice work for four episodes.

Peter Weber, The Week US

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.