The cast members of “Parks and Recreation” are remembering co-star Jonathan Joss after his shocking shooting death over the weekend.
Nick Offerman said that he and his “Parks and Recreation” family have been “texting together about it all day” and that they are all “heartbroken” over Joss’ sudden passing.
“The cast has been texting together about it all day and we’re just heartbroken,” Offerman, 54, said in a statement to People on Monday.
“Jonathan was such a sweet guy and we loved having him as our Chief Ken Hotate,” Offerman added. “A terrible tragedy.”
Chris Pratt, who starred in “Parks and Recreation” alongside Offerman and Joss, also paid tribute to his late co-star following the news of the actor’s death.
“Damn. RIP Jonathan,” Pratt, 45, wrote on social media. “Always such a kind dude.”
“He played Ken Hotate in Parks and was also in [The Magnificent Seven],” Pratt added. “Sad to see. Prayers up. Hug your loved ones.”
Joss starred in “Parks and Recreation” for five years from 2011 through 2015. He appeared in a recurring role as Chief Ken Hotate, the leader of the Native American Wamapoke Tribe.
Besides Offerman and Pratt, Joss also starred alongside Amy Poehler, Rashida Jones, Aubrey Plaza and Adam Scott on the beloved sitcom.
Offerman and Pratt’s remarks came one day after Joss, 59, was shot and killed at his property in San Antonio, Texas, following an alleged dispute with his neighbor.
The “King of the Hill” voice actor’s suspected killer was identified as Sigfredo Alvarez Ceja, and he was taken into custody on Sunday at approximately 7:05 p.m., The Post confirmed.
Ceja was charged with felony first-degree murder, and his bond was set at $200K. His court date is scheduled for August.
Joss’ husband, Tristan Kern de Gonzales, alleged in a lengthy Facebook post on Monday that the actor’s murder was a homophobic hate crime.
“He was murdered by someone who could not stand the sight of two men loving each other,” Joss’ husband wrote.
However, the San Antonio Police Department denied those claims.
“Currently the investigation has found no evidence to indicate that Mr. Joss’s murder was related to his sexual orientation,” the department tweeted after de Gonzales’ claims.
It was also revealed that Joss, who voiced John Redcorn in “King of the Hill,” was reportedly escorted out of a panel for the Fox animated series just two days before he was fatally shot.
The alleged incident unfolded at the ATX TV Festival in Austin, Texas, on Friday, May 30.
Witnesses claimed that Joss walked up to a microphone and began to speak before it was time for the audience to interact with those on the “King of the Hill” panel, including the show’s co-creators Mike Judge and Greg Daniels.
“I’m an actor,” Joss said in a clip of the incident before revealing how his home had burned down earlier this year. “I see a mic, I use it. I see a wrong, I make it right. I take a breath, I want to breathe.”
An eyewitness claimed that security approached Joss and escorted him out of the venue after he began walking toward the stage where the panel was taking place.
“As Joss moved away from the mic to go back to his seat, that’s when security told him he had to leave, and he exited the theater calmly and cooperatively,” the onlooker claimed.
Joss was fatally shot and killed two days after the ATX TV Festival.
Neighbors claimed that Joss returned to his burned-down home to collect a victim’s fire fund check, which was when the suspected dispute with his suspected killer began.
Leave a Reply