Jonathan Joss, best known for voicing John Redcorn in King of the Hill and appearing in Parks and Recreation, has died after being shot near his former home in San Antonio, Texas. He was 59.
San Antonio police said officers responded to a shooting report at around 7pm on Sunday. Joss was found wounded near the street and was pronounced dead at the scene despite emergency efforts.
A suspect, named by authorities as Sigfredo Alvarez Ceja, has been arrested on suspicion of murder.
Joss's husband, Tristan Kern de Gonzales, has alleged the shooting was a homophobic hate crime, stating the couple were targeted while visiting the site of their former home, which had burned down earlier this year. Gonzales said the pair were grieving the discovery of their deceased dog’s remains when they were confronted and Joss was shot.
In a statement posted on Facebook, Gonzales said: "Jonathan and I had no weapons. We were not threatening anyone. We were grieving. When the man fired, Jonathan pushed me out of the way. He saved my life."
However, police said their investigation had "found no evidence to indicate that Mr Joss’s murder was related to his sexual orientation," though added that they are continuing to examine all aspects of the case.
Joss voiced John Redcorn for over a dozen seasons of King of the Hill, and also portrayed Chief Ken Hotate in Parks and Recreation. He had recently attended the ATX Television Festival in Austin, where the upcoming King of the Hill revival was discussed.
Tributes have been paid by former co-stars and creators. Nick Offerman, who starred in Parks and Recreation, said: "Jonathan was such a sweet guy and we loved having him as our Chief Ken Hotate. A terrible tragedy."
King of the Hill creators Mike Judge, Greg Daniels and Saladin Patterson said: "Jonathan Joss brought John Redcorn to life for over a dozen seasons, including in the upcoming revival. His voice will be missed at King of the Hill."
Joss, who was of Comanche and White Mountain Apache heritage, also appeared in films including Lone Ranger and Comanche Moon.
