‘King of the Hill’ and ‘Parks and Rec’ Actor Jonathan Joss Fatally Shot in San Antonio Incident
Jonathan Joss, the US actor best known for voicing John Redcorn in the animated series King of the Hill and portraying Chief Ken Hotate in Parks and Recreation, was fatally shot in San Antonio, Texas, in what his husband, Tristan Kern de Gonzales, has described as a homophobic hate crime. Joss, 59, also known by fans as Jonathon Joss, Johnathon Joss, and Joss Jonathan, died while the couple visited the site of their former home, which was destroyed in a fire earlier this year.
Gonzales said the visit turned tragic when they discovered the skull and harness of one of their dogs, placed deliberately in plain sight. Overwhelmed with grief, they began crying—only to be confronted by a man who allegedly hurled violent homophobic slurs before opening fire. Gonzales recalled, “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.”
Police have arrested Sigfredo Alvarez Ceja in connection with the San Antonio shooting and confirmed he is being held on suspicion of murder. However, the San Antonio Police Department stated that there is currently no evidence that the killing of the King of the Hill actor was motivated by Joss’s sexual orientation. “Investigators handle these allegations very seriously,” the department said. “Should any new evidence come to light, the suspect will be charged accordingly.”
Joss and Gonzales had married on Valentine’s Day and were in the process of rebuilding their lives following the loss of their home. “Jonathan gave me more love in our time together than most people ever get,” Gonzales shared.
Tributes have poured in from the entertainment world. Parks and Rec star Nick Offerman told People, “The cast has been texting together about it all day and we’re just heartbroken. 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 issued a joint statement: “Jonathan Joss, the John Redcorn voice actor, brought depth, dignity, and humor to his character for over a dozen seasons, including in the upcoming revival. His voice will be missed, and we extend our deepest condolences to Jonathan’s friends and family.”
Joss had attended a King of the Hill panel at the ATX Television Festival in Austin just days before the tragedy. Although he was present in the audience, he expressed sadness earlier in the year over not being invited to participate on the panel. “That character, that voice, that story… they were my home, my pride, my connection to something bigger than myself,” he wrote in April. “To not be invited felt like being shut out of a place I helped build.”
King of the Hill, which originally aired in 1997 and ran for over 250 episodes, is returning with a new season premiering August 4 on Hulu. The show, set in Texas, follows the life of propane salesman Hank Hill and his quirky community. The upcoming revival was to include the return of several original characters—including John Redcorn, originally voiced by Jonathan Joss, following the passing of fellow cast member Johnny Hardwick, the voice of Dale Gribble.
