In a Facebook post, Price Center San Antonio called Joss’ death an “act of violent unchecked homophobia” and is calling for justice and accountability.
SAN ANTONIO — Pride Center San Antonio will hold a vigil for Jonathan Joss, the “King of the Hill” and “Parks and Recreation” actor who was shot dead on Sunday at the site of his former home—the violent result of what police called a long-running feud with his neighbor.
The accused killer, 59-year-old Sigfredo Ceja Alvarez, is now charged in the actor’s death. Neighbors said Joss and Alvarez had a long history of trouble, showing weapons and trading threats for years.
In a Facebook post, the local nonprofit called Joss’ death an “act of violent unchecked homophobia” and is calling for justice and accountability.
“Both Jonathan and his partner Tristan endured years of harassment, discrimination and violence that went ignored by local police,” Pride Center San Antonio wrote on Facebook.
On Monday, Joss’ husband, Tristan Kern de Gonzales, took to social media claiming the actor’s death was the result of a hate crime. Gonzales claims the couple had been regularly harassed in the neighborhood and said multiple reports to law enforcement went unheard.
“He was murdered by someone who could not stand the sight of two men loving each other,” Gonzales wrote on Facebook.
SAPD, however, issued a statement Monday afternoon saying the investigation has found no evidence indicating that the murder was related to Joss’ sexual orientation.
Meanwhile, Stonewall Democrats of San Antonio is calling on SAPD to investigate the killing as a possible hate crime, urging a full and transparent investigation by law enforcement.
“Bias-motivated violence sends a chilling message not just to the individual targeted but to an entire community and it must be confronted with the full weight of the law,” they wrote in a letter addressed to Police Chief William McManus.
The vigil honoring the life of Joss will be held Sunday from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Crockett Park.