...
By Shannon Power
Pop Culture & Entertainment Reporter
0
Share
Newsweek is a Trust Project member
See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
Four people who were allegedly involved in the fatal shooting of actor Johnny Wactor have been arrested.
The Context
Best known for his work on General Hospital, the 37-year-old was shot to death allegedly "without provocation" on May 25, according to Los Angeles police. They posted news of the arrests on their X, formerly Twitter, page.
Read More on Entertainment
Robert Barceleau, Sergio Estrada and Leonel Gutierrez, all age 18, were charged with murder on Thursday, and Frank Olano, 22, was charged with accessory to murder.
The three murder suspects were held on a $2 million bail, per The Los Angeles Times. The newspaper also reported they were members of the Florencia 13 gang, which had been known for a spate of catalytic converter thefts in the city.
...
What We Know
Wactor was fatally wounded after finishing his shift as a bartender as he walked back to his car with a co-worker, Anita Joy. He apparently interrupted the suspects allegedly attempting to steal the catalytic converter from the vehicle.
The actor put his hands up to indicate he was not a threat to the alleged suspects, but he was shot at close range, according to Joy and the probable cause warrant.
A security guard went to Wactor's aid and when asked if he was OK, he replied: "Nope. I've been shot," as reported in the LA Times.
The men fled in a car and Wactor was taken to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Catalytic converter thefts have been on the rise across the United States in recent years, with people stealing them for the part's precious metals. The converters serve as an attachment to vehicles and convert toxic fumes from the exhaust.
Wactor was best known for his role as Brando Corbin in General Hospital, in which he starred in 160 episodes between 2020 and 2022. He also made appearances in NCIS, Westworld, The OA, Station 19, Agent X and Criminal Minds among other shows.
Views
LA mayor Karen Bass addressed the arrests in a statement.
"I want to thank LAPD for their partnership and hard work on this case and for their continued efforts to keep Angelenos safe and to bring justice to victims of violence. Now, we must ensure that those who are responsible for this brazen and heinous act are held fully accountable," she said.
Joy also reacted to news of the arrests.
"FINALLY, Some answers and good news! What a roller coaster of emotions today, yet by this evening we are able to put a smile on our faces, even for a moment ! - Getting ever closer to bringing justice for Johnny!!" she wrote on Instagram.
"I'm so overwhelmed and relived that the suspects have been arrested and are of age to be convicted! The relentlessness and persevering strength that his family and friends have shown is nothing short of incredible and exactly the reason we are getting this news today! I woke up this morning to a flood of texts and articles about the warrants, arrests and ACTION taken by LAPD."
Joy added: "As we figured, Johnny's murderers are involved in a very brutal gang and I'm sure this is why it was so tactical for police to proceed with caution and collect any and all evidence and information before closing in. They took down a major part of this gang today and that brought us some serious relief.
"There's a long road ahead, still much more to come before we can truly rest and begin to heal, but today was big. It doesn't end here though - our mission has been to CHANGE the system, change the acceptance of crime in LA. We want no more Johnnys to happen, no more families, friends and communities suffering over senseless killing and crime that goes unpunished. We love you Johnny, your mom is a freaking FORCE and we are not done yet!! I know you would be so proud of everything we have done in your name and we lead with love and justice as we ask ourselves, What Would Johnny Do ❤️"
What's Next?
Wactor's family established a GoFundMe page called "Justice for Johnny" in which they hope to raise money so his mom and brothers could travel to L.A. for any business they needed to take care of relating to his death.
The fundraiser was also created to demand "systemic change to address the violence plaguing our streets" by "raising public awareness, and holding our local leaders accountable."
"We are committed to creating lasting change through a foundation in Johnny's name, dedicated to supporting other victims and advocating for stronger public safety legislation at both the city and state levels," reads the fundraising page.
"Our goal is clear: to ensure no family has to endure the pain we've experienced and to build a safer, more just community for everyone. This is not just a fight for Johnny—it's a fight for the future of Los Angeles, the state of California, and the country at large."
The GoFundMe had raised $144,542 of its $200,000 target at the time of writing.
Update 08/16/24 at 4:17 a.m. ET. This article was updated to include additional information.
View 0 Comments
Submit Correction
View Editorial & AI Guidelines