It has been reported that Jonathan Joss, an actor who dabbled in video games during his career, has been gunned down in San Antonio, Texas, in an apparent homophobic attack. It was stated by the San Antonio Express News that Joss was shot several times after entering into a confrontation with a neighbour who first yelled ‘homophobic slurs’ at the actor and his husband.
While Joss was primarily known for starring in television shows and movies, his thirty-year career took him through the studios for various video games, including Red Dead Redemption (2010), Cyberpunk 2077 (and Phantom Liberty), and Days Gone.
‘He Saved My Life’
In an emotional post on social media, Jonathan Joss’ husband, Tristan Kern de Gonzales, wrote:
My husband Jonathan Joss and I were involved in a shooting while checking the mail at the site of our former home. That home was burned down after two years of threats from people in the area who repeatedly told us they would set it on fire. We reported these threats to law enforcement multiple times and nothing was done.
Throughout that time we were harassed regularly by individuals who made it clear they did not accept our relationship. Much of the harassment was openly homophobic.
When we returned to the site to check our mail we discovered the skull of one of our dogs and its harness placed in clear view. This caused both of us severe emotional distress. We began yelling and crying in response to the pain of what we saw.
While we were doing this a man approached us. He started yelling violent homophobic slurs at us. He then raised a gun from his lap and fired.
Jonathan and I had no weapons. We were not threatening anyone. We were grieving. We were standing side by side. When the man fired Jonathan pushed me out of the way. He saved my life.
Jonathan is my husband. He gave me more love in our time together than most people ever get. We were newlyweds. We picked Valentine’s Day. We were in the process of looking for a trailer and planning our future.
Fans of Jonathan Joss poured out their condolences in the comments under the post.
Joss was best known for his voice work on King of the Hill, playing John Redcorn in a role that spanned from 1997 to 2009. Elsewhere, he played Ken Hotate in Parks and Recreation alongside Chris Pratt, Nick Offerman, and Amy Poehler.
His most recent game-based role was in Phantom Liberty, the first and last Cyberpunk 2077 expansion. He also appeared in Wasteland 3 as Payaso Wannabe in 2020, and in 2019, he played Alkai Turner in Days Gone.
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Grant has been gaming for 30+ years and in the industry for 10+. You'll probably find him playing a post-apocalyptic game or an extraction shooter somewhere.
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