JONATHAN Joss made a brave final move to protect his husband as he was gunned down outside the burnt remains of his childhood home, his heartbroken partner has revealed.
Tristan Kern de Gonzalez has opened up about the last moments he shared with the King of the Hill actor and shared a disturbing theory behind his killing.
On Sunday evening, Joss, 59, was shot to death as he visited his parents’ old home, which burned down in January, Gonzalez and the cops have said.
The couple was visiting the property to pick up mail, but were stopped in their tracks when they saw a dog skull lying beside a harness that belonged to Joss’s missing pup, Gonzalez claimed in a statement.
According to the husband, this was just the latest in a string of alleged attacks targeting the couple because of their sexuality.
Gonzalez claimed that they had been threatened over their relationship for two years and tried to report the aggressors to the cops, but had no success.
He claimed that some neighbors said they were going to burn down their home before the fire.
When The U.S. Sun asked for comment on Gonzalez’s statement, the San Antonio Police Department said it would not speculate about an ongoing investigation.
While the couple was breaking down in tears over the disturbing find, a man allegedly honed in on them and started screaming homophobic slurs, Gonzales claimed.
“He then raised a gun from his lap and fired,” said the actor’s partner.
Gonzalez claimed that they were unarmed during the attack and that they were grieving the loss of their pet.
They were standing side by side when the man approached, but after the shots were fired, Joss pushed his husband out of the way, Gonzalez said.
“He saved my life,” he wrote in the statement.
Suspect Sigfredo Ceja Alvarez, 59, was arrested one block away from the shooting after fleeing the scene, cops said.
He’s been booked on suspicion of murder, and he’s being held on a $200,000 bond.
According to unnamed neighbors, Alvarez and Joss had a longstanding feud and argued frequently, CBS affiliated KENS 5 reported.
Sometimes their blowout fights involved weapons, the neighbors claimed.
After losing the love of his life, who he had just married on Valentine’s Day, Gonzalex made a solemn vow to keep his legacy alive.
“Jonathan saved my life. I will carry that forward,” he wrote.
“I will protect what he built.”
ACCOMPLISHED ACTOR
Joss is most known for playing John Redcorn on King of the Hill from season 2 to season 13 and for playing Chief Ken Hotate in Parks and Recreation for five episodes.
A descendant of Comanche and White Mountain Apache people, the accomplished actors played many Native American characters on film and in television.
In 2010, he scored a role in the Academy Award-winning movie True Grit.
Fans and followers have flooded his social media with condolences and prayers since his death.
“Jonathan was one of a kind,” wrote one emotional friend.
“He was a creative soul through and through. What brought him joy was to entertain us.
“To Tristan and all of those who love him, my heart goes out to each and every one of you.”
Another person wrote, “I am so so sorry to hear of your passing. Bless your soul, I’ll remember you forever.”
Full statement from Jonathan Joss’s husband
“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 over 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 Valentines Day. We were in the process of looking for a trailer and planning our future.
He was murdered by someone who could not stand the sight of two men loving each other.
I was with him when he passed. I told him how much he was loved.
To everyone who supported him, his fans, his friends, know that he valued you deeply. He saw you as family.
My focus now is on protecting Jonathan’s legacy and honoring the life we built together.
If your concern is how someone coped with trauma or how loudly they speak when recounting injustice and being ignored by authorities then you never truly cared about my husband.
Jonathan saved my life. I will carry that forward. I will protect what he built.
– Tristan Kern de Gonzales”
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