General Hospital actor Johnny Wactor, 37, shot dead in robbery gone wrong

A soap star has been shot and killed in downtown LA after witnessing a group of men allegedly breaking into his vehicle.

Actor Johnny Wactor was shot and killed during a theft gone wrong in downtown LA. Picture: David Livingston/Getty Images

General Hospital actor Johnny Wactor has died at the age of 37.

The actor, who appeared in nearly 200 episodes of the drama series, was shot and killed in Los Angeles on Saturday morning, reports The Sun.

His mother, Scarlett, broke the news to TMZ.

She revealed the incident occurred after her son and his co-worker saw three men allegedly breaking into his car.

Actor Johnny Wactor was shot and killed during a theft gone wrong in downtown LA on Saturday. Picture: Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Curious Potato

The actor witnessed a group of men allegedly attempting to break into his car before he was shot. Picture: David Livingston/Getty Images

While Johnny didn’t attempt to confront or fight them, Scarlett said he was shot as the group took off.

Paramedics arrived on scene around 3am and took Johnny to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

According to the outlet, the description matched a reported incident in which three suspects attempted to steal a catalytic converter.

While no suspects have been named, Johnny’s mother said she hopes they will be found soon.

He is survived by his mother and younger brothers Grant and Lance.

On social media, fans of the General Hospital actor have been sharing their condolences to his family.

“RIP #JohnnyWactor. This world is such a cruel place. :(,” one person tweeted.

“How sad to learn of the death of Johnny Wactor so young and in such conditions! A star will shine brighter tonight [star] Condolences to his family and all the actor’s fans,” a second tweeted.

Wactor played Brando Corbin on General Hospital from 2020 until 2022. Picture: Craig Sjodin/ABC via Getty Images

“Another devastating blow to the #GH family. Rest in Peace, Johnny Wactor. Our time with you was way too short,” another said.

“I am beyond words about Johnny Wactor, a life that was taken without cause. I hope whoever did this spend the rest of their life in prison,” someone else wrote.

Johnny was born on 31 August 1986 in Charleston, South Carolina.

He most notably played Brando Corbin on General Hospital, who was married to Sasha Corbin (Sofia Mattsson) in the series.

He played the role from 2020 until 2022 when his character was written off the ABC series.

Johnny began his career in 2007 playing various roles on the Lifetime show Army Wives.

He went on to appear in hit shows such as NCIS, Criminal Minds, Station 19, The OA and Westworld.

The actor has also appeared on shows such as NCIS, Army Wives and Westworld. Picture: Nicky Nelson/WENN.com

Johnny’s passing comes just months after General Hospital lost another one of its stars, Robyn Bernard. Robyn was found dead in San Jacinto, California on March 12. She was 64 years old.

One of the earlier actors, she played Terry Brock on the drama series for about six years in the 1980s.

According to a Riverside County Coroner report, she died at 4am in an open field behind a business.

Officials responded to a death investigation call, where Robyn was then identified with her fingerprints.

Last year, General Hospital fans also grieved the loss of legendary actress Jacklyn Zeman, who died at the age of 70. Jacklyn passed away on May 10, 2023, following her battle with cancer. General Hospital producer Frank Valentini announced the news on X at the time.

This article originally appeared in The Sun and was reproduced with permission