General Hospital star Johnny Wactor's cause of death revealed after Downtown LA murder

Johnny Wactor's cause of death has been revealed after actor was shot and killed on Saturday, May 25 by thieves attempting to steal the catalytic convertor on his vehicle in Downtown Los Angeles. 

In the death certificate obtained by TMZ on Thursday, the medical examiner cited that the star tragically passed away at the age of 37 due to a 'gunshot wound to the chest' - with no other contributing factors. 

Following his death, Wactor's remains were sent to his home state of South Carolina where he was cremated, with his ashes now with his mother, Scarlett, at her home. 

His loved ones had requested that his body be transferred to South Carolina after he was tragically killed. 

The death certificate also noted that the shooting occurred on a 'street and/or highway,' while officials stated he was shot by another individual - ultimately ruling his passing as a homicide. 

Johnny Wactor's cause of death has been revealed after actor was shot and killed on Saturday, May 25 by thieves attempting to steal the catalytic convertor on his vehicle in Downtown Los Angeles

The certificate also listed his occupation as 'actor' and added that Johnny had worked in the entertainment industry for 15 years. 

On Saturday, May 25 at around 3:25am, Wactor was leaving his side-job at a 'cathedral style' nightclub called Sinners y Santos in Downtown LA with his co-worker, Anita Joy. 

He noticed that three men - all wearing masks - were near his vehicle, which was propped up on a jack. 

The star thought the car was being towed and upon approaching the assailants, one pointed his gun at the actor. Johnny put his body in the way of his female colleague to protect her, and was shot. 

Wactor was transported to a hospital by paramedics, but was pronounced dead shortly after. 

According to police, the three men quickly fled the scene in another vehicle. Law enforcement is still on the hunt for the men who currently remain at large. 

The actor had taken up a job bartending to make ends meet, despite having battled a drinking problem, at the nightclub - just a few blocks away from where he was shot dead. 

Family members previously told DailyMail.com that the 'southern gentleman' had been escorting a female co-worker to her vehicle at the time and shielded her with his body when a trio of thieves opened fire. 

In the death certificate obtained by TMZ on Thursday, the medical examiner cited that the star tragically passed away at the age of 37 due to a 'gunshot wound to the chest' - with no other contributing factors; seen as Brando Corbin on General Hospital 

Following his death, Wactor's remains were sent to his home state of South Carolina where he was cremated, with his ashes now with his mother, Scarlett, at her home; seen in 2018 in Westwood 

The woman has since been identified as fellow nightclub worker Anita Joy after she broke her silence in a series of heartbreaking Instagram posts Wednesday recalling his heroic final moments.

She referred to Wactor as her friend of 'eight years' and described how he 'fought to stay alive' before ultimately dying in her arms.

Now, several of his fellow actor friends have spoken further of Wactor's 'selflessness', and noble nature and revealed how he had taken up a job as a bartender at the new Sinners y Santos nightclub after struggling to find roles following the strike.

Exclusive DailyMail.com photos also show the desolate spot where the star lost his life, with a tattered piece of police tape still lingering on a heavily graffitied shop front nearby.

The site of the Hope Street shooting is less than two blocks and a five-minute walk from the nightlife venue where Wactor worked.

Wactor had struggled to get acting work in recent years, with a source telling DailyMail.com he had been trying to make ends meet by working at the club.

The insider said: 'He hadn't worked a lot in the last three years and was trying to subsidize his income by working at a bar.'

'He was moving into the producing end of the business so he could have more control over how much he would work. Everybody liked him and the other actors and the fans were sad when his General Hospital storyline died out.' 

'He never gave up hoping he might be asked back but so far, his phone wasn't ringing. Such is the world of soap operas.'

Exclusive DailyMail.com photos also show the desolate spot where the star lost his life, with a tattered piece of police tape still lingering on a heavily graffitied shop front nearby

Wactor had struggled to get acting work in recent years, with a source telling DailyMail.com he had been trying to make ends meet by working at the club

One of eight clubs, bars, and restaurants in the Level 8 entertainment complex attached to the Downtown AC and Moxy hotels, Sinners y Santos opened in October 2023 and specializes in agave-based cocktails.

A source at the club, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said of Wactor's murder: 'It's just tragic. All this because of a catalytic converter. It's just senseless.'

Anita, who was Wactor's co-worker at the club, revealed he was shot at close range as the pair were walking to their cars after finishing a bartending shift. 'Everything happened in an instant.' 

'I've come to describe it as a glass of water that gets tipped over and you're scrambling to grab it and save it from spilling out completely but it just runs through your fingertips and is gone,' she wrote in an Instagram post.

Johnny was between me and the man who shot him - as I heard the shot ring into the night, he forcefully tumbled back into my arms and as I grabbed for him, I shouted, 'Hunny, you ok?!'

'And he only responded, 'Nope! Shot!' We toppled onto the street, where I pushed my legs under him and tried to hold his body up while screaming for help and screaming at him to stay with me.'

Joy went on to say that a bouncer from the bar where they worked ran over and performed CPR but the damage was done.

'It was too close range, too extreme of a wound for him to survive it. But my God, he fought to stay.'

Joy also revealed staff at the Downtown LA nightclub complained over lack of safe parking spots for late night workers after a string of violent crime in the area. 

Friend Megan Le told DailyMail.com she wasn't surprised to learn Wactor's last act of bravery was to protect his co-worker.

Le, an actress and stuntwoman who was in the same acting class as Wactor, said he always made it a point to walk his friends to their cars if they ever had a late night somewhere, whether it be at a shoot or leaving from their acting class at Stuart Rogers Studios in North Hollywood.

The insider said: 'He hadn't worked a lot in the last three years and was trying to subsidize his income by working at a bar'

Anita, who was Wactor's co-worker at the club, revealed he was shot at close range as the pair were walking to their cars after finishing a bartending shift. 'Everything happened in an instant'

Another friend and fellow acting student, West Liang echoed Le's comments about the standup and kind-hearted actor.

'Even in his last moment, he put himself in harm's way for someone else,' Liang said in tears. 'That's just who he was and it's so unfair what happened to him.'

Le, who was in a movie with Wactor called RELIC, revealed he had been taking acting classes in LA for at least six years but was eventually forced to take a break from the course to focus on his role in General Hospital.

After leaving the soap in 2022, Wactor returned to the Monday night class and took up a job bartending despite the fact he was still in AA, she revealed.

'Work in the industry has not come back like it was supposed to so everybody is struggling. Johnny and a lot of people in my community take other jobs to make ends meet,' Le said.

'While he was on General Hospital he wasn't in our acting class because that took up a lot of his time, but when that ended, he started coming back to the class. And then the SAG strike happened, and we were all out there [picketing].'

'When he and I shot [the film project] in February, he had gone back into bartending because those residuals weren't enough to cover everything,' she added.

Liang described his late friend as the type of actor who knew how to 'survive' and 'navigate' the humbling blows and setbacks that most of them face in Hollywood, with a sense of 'self-worth.'

A source at the club, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said of Wactor's murder: 'It's just tragic. All this because of a catalytic converter. It's just senseless'

'Even in his last moment, he put himself in harm's way for someone else,' Liang said in tears. 'That's just who he was and it's so unfair what happened to him'

'He didn't have a big ego and he took that [bar] job. He showed up for his friends. I think that's what Johnny was able to do so beautifully. He was able to have a strong sense of self-worth, but he was able to be there for his friends,' Liang said.

At the time of his death, Wactor had been in a good place in his substance abuse battle, Le revealed.

'He found his peace without alcohol, and he would say he just felt much better without it.'

Le revealed students at the acting class this week decorated Johnny's regular seat at the theater with flowers as a tribute to their friend.

Los Angeles has been plagued by a wave of catalytic converter thefts and earned the unwanted distinction of being the leading US city for such crimes in 2023, with the LAPD recording more than 19,000 last year. 

Tributes paid to him on his Instagram include one from a formerly homeless man who said the actor had once handed him a $100 bill. 

His General Hospital co-stars have also paid tribute to him with onscreen wife Sofia Mattson describing herself as heartbroken on her Instagram account following his death. 

Kristen Storms, another former co-star, also paid tribute to the actor on social media, writing: 'I'm in a state of disbelief and complete sadness. I don't typically do posts like this, but Johnny was such a special person and it feels important (for me) to put these words out there.

'To @johnnywactor's mother and family, I am so sorry for your loss. I can't imagine what you must be feeling right now. You are in my thoughts and prayers.

Liang described his late friend as the type of actor who knew how to 'survive' and 'navigate' the humbling blows and setbacks that most of them face in Hollywood, with a sense of 'self-worth'

His General Hospital co-stars have also paid tribute to him with onscreen wife Sofia Mattson describing herself as heartbroken on her Instagram account following his death; seen in October 2023 in Philadelphia 

'Johnny was one of those rare 'real individuals' that you almost never come across.

'I was fortunate enough to have some really good conversations with him where we discussed things I don't typically open up about.

'For some reason, we talked about the deep stuff. He was a safe space for those conversations and, in turn, he would talk about his life. He genuinely cared about people and their journeys in life.'

She added: 'During his time on GH I witnessed him work hard and truly have respect for every single person in our building. I just cannot believe that his life was stolen from him the way it was. My heart hurts. RIP Johnny.'