Jonathan Joss’ Parks and Recreation co-star Nick Offerman has paid tribute one day after the actor was shot and killed at his home in San Antonio, Texas on June 1.
Speaking with People on June 2, Nick Offerman said he and his fellow castmates from the hit TV show have been leaning on each other for support as they come to terms with what happened.
“The cast has been texting together about it all day and we’re just heartbroken,” he said.
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“Jonathan was such a sweet guy and we loved having him as our Chief Ken Hotate. A terrible tragedy.”
Joss, 59, appeared in the hit sitcom in a recurring role as the leader of a Native American Tribe.
He appeared alongside stars including Offerman, Amy Poehler, Chris pratt and Aubrey Plaza in several episodes over five years.
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Joss was shot and killed by his neighbour.
According to People authorities responded to the attack and found the actor lying “near the roadway”. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Tristan Kern de Gonzales, Joss’ husband, claims he was by his side at the time of death, sharing a statement to Joss’ Facebook page describing the events that took place.
He shared that the couple were checking the mail at their former house, which had burnt down “after two years of threats” from neighbours who “repeatedly told [them] they would set it on fire”.
Gonzales also claimed these threats were reported to law enforcement but “nothing was done”.
”Throughout that time we were harassed regularly by individuals who made it clear they did not accept our relationship,” he explained.
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“Much of the harassment was openly homophobic.”
When they arrived at the house, Gonzales claimed the couple were confronted with the skull of one of their dogs and its harness “placed in clear view” which prompted both himself and Joss to yell and cry “in response to the pain of what we saw”.
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Allegedly, a neighbour of the couple heard the commotion and approached them, “yelling violent homophobic slurs” before he “raised a gun from his lap and fired”.
Gonzales claimed neither he nor Joss had any weapons, and when the neighbour fired, Joss pushed his husband out of the way and saved his life.
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“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,” Gonzales wrote.
“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.
“My focus now is on protecting Jonathan’s legacy and honoring the life we built together… Jonathan saved my life. I will carry that forward. I will protect what he built.”
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