Jonathan Joss Murdered During Pride Month—Police Push Back on Hate Crime Claims

Jonathan Joss, the acclaimed voice actor best known for portraying John Redcorn in King of the Hill, was fatally shot on Sunday, June 1, 2025, in San Antonio, Texas.

He was 59. According to his husband, Tristan Kern de Gonzales, the shooting was a targeted homophobic hate crime. Joss was pronounced dead at the scene after sustaining multiple gunshot wounds.

The alleged shooter, 56-year-old neighbour Sigfredo Alvarez Ceja, has been arrested and charged with murder. However, the San Antonio Police Department (SAPD) stated that the motive is still under investigation and has not been officially classified as a hate crime.

In a deeply emotional statement shared on Joss’ Facebook page, de Gonzales described the circumstances leading up to the shooting. The couple had returned to the site of their former home, which was destroyed in a fire in January 2025, to check for mail.

De Gonzales revealed that they had endured over two years of threats and harassment from individuals in the neighbourhood, much of it “openly homophobic.” He added that before the fire—which also claimed the lives of three of their dogs—neighbours had allegedly warned them that they would burn the house down. Despite repeated reports to authorities, de Gonzales said no action was taken.

On the day of the shooting, the couple discovered the skull and harness of one of their deceased dogs, intentionally placed at the site. Overcome with grief, they began crying and yelling in anguish. It was then, de Gonzales said, that Ceja approached them, hurling “violent homophobic slurs” before pulling out a gun and opening fire.

“Jonathan and I had no weapons. We were not threatening anyone. We were grieving,” de Gonzales recounted. “When the man fired, Jonathan pushed me out of the way. He saved my life.” He described the attack as an act of hatred: “Jonathan was murdered by someone who could not stand the sight of two men loving each other.”

Police responded to the scene around 7 p.m. and found Joss near the road with multiple gunshot wounds. Despite efforts by paramedics, he was declared dead on site. Ceja fled the scene but was apprehended a block away and taken into custody.

On June 2, SAPD issued a statement via social media addressing public claims of a hate crime:

“Despite online claims of this being a hate crime, currently the investigation has found no evidence to indicate that Mr. Joss’ murder was related to his sexual orientation. SAPD investigators handle these allegations very seriously and have thoroughly reviewed all available information. Should any new evidence come to light, the suspect will be charged accordingly.”

Neighbours reported a history of tensions between Joss and Ceja, including previous verbal and physical disputes, though none had escalated to violence until now. The motive for the attack remains under investigation, and authorities have not released additional details.

Born on December 22, 1965, in San Antonio, Jonathan Joss was of Comanche and White Mountain Apache heritage. He graduated from McCollum High School and earned a Bachelor of Arts in theatre arts from Our Lady of the Lake University. He began his acting career in the 1990s, with early roles in TV movies such as The Substitute Wife and Without Consent, as well as a notable appearance as Raymond Firewalker in Walker, Texas Ranger.

Joss rose to fame as the voice of John Redcorn in King of the Hill, voicing the character from seasons 2 through 13 following the death of original actor Victor Aaron. Joss had completed work on the upcoming Hulu revival of the series, set to premiere in August 2025.

He also played Chief Ken Hotate in Parks and Recreation and had roles in Tulsa King, Ray Donovan, Friday Night Lights, ER, and Charmed. His film appearances included True Grit, The Magnificent Seven, The Forever Purge, and 8 Seconds. He also lent his voice to popular video games such as Red Dead Redemption, Days Gone, Wasteland 3, and The Walking Dead: Michonne.

A committed advocate for Native American representation in media, Joss was a keynote speaker at Indigenous Comic Con in 2017, where he called on Hollywood to move beyond stereotypes and portray Native peoples in contemporary, multidimensional roles. He also performed music with The Red Corn Band, a tribute to his King of the Hill character, and often engaged with fans at events.

Joss and de Gonzales married on Valentine’s Day 2025 and were rebuilding their lives following the January house fire that destroyed Joss’ childhood home, originally built by his father in 1957. The fire also killed three of their beloved dogs. Although a GoFundMe page was set up after the tragedy, the couple emphasized they preferred people raise awareness about the injustices they faced rather than donate money.

De Gonzales’ tribute captured the depth of their bond: “Jonathan gave me more love in our time together than most people ever get. I was with him when he passed. I told him how much he was loved.” He pledged to honour Joss’ legacy and protect the life they built together. “To everyone who supported him—his fans, his friends—know that he valued you deeply. He saw you as family.”

Just days before his death, Joss made a public appearance at the ATX TV Festival in Austin. He briefly interrupted a King of the Hill panel to express disappointment over not being invited to participate and to speak out about the loss of his home, which he attributed to homophobia. In a video captured by a fan, he declared, “I’m an actor. I see a mic, I use it. I see a wrong, I make it right. I take a breath, I want to breathe.”