EXCLUSIVE: How Tragic 'Parks and Recreation' Star Jonathan Joss Died Next to His Husband After Being Shot Amid Neighbor Bust-Up
Tristan Kern de Gonzales revealed his husband, Jonathan Joss, was murdered next to him.
June 3 2025, Published 1:30 p.m. ET
Jonathan Joss, best known for King of the Hill and Parks and Recreation, tragically died on Sunday, June 1, at the age of 59, passing away right next to his husband, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
Tristan Kern de Gonzales, claimed a neighbor shot his famous husband as part of a hate-fueled attack on the couple.
'We Began Yelling And Crying'
Tristan Kern de Gonzales claimed a neighbor shot his husband, Joss, in a hate-fueled attack.
Following the shocking murder, de Gonzales took to Facebook to post a statement, explaining what led up to neighbor Sigfredo Ceja Alvarez allegedly shooting the actor.
"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," de Gonzales claimed, referring to their San Antonio house that they lost to a fire in January 2025. Two dogs were also killed in the fire.
He continued: "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."
A Hate Crime?
The 59-year-old "pushed' his husband out of the way during the shooting.
According to de Gonzales, Joss, "pushed me out of the way" and "saved my life," as the TV star was "murdered by someone who could not stand the sight of two men loving each other."
Despite de Gonzales' claim, the San Antonio Police Department said they found "no evidence whatsoever to indicate that Mr. Joss' murder was related to his sexual orientation."
"We take such allegations very seriously and have thoroughly reviewed all available information. Should any new evidence come to light, we will charge the suspect accordingly," they added.
Authorties revealed they 'found no evidence' the shooting was related to the couple's sexual orientation.
In de Gonzales' post, he also claimed the pair had previously found themselves dealing with "openly homophobic harassment from individuals who made it clear they did not accept our relationship."
The alleged threats were reported "to law enforcement multiple times and nothing was done," according to de Gonzales.
After allegedly shooting Joss dead, Alvarez-Cegasay ran from the scene and hopped in a car, but was quickly apprehended after police received a description of the getaway vehicle.
He was arrested and charged with murder. His bond was set at $200K.
A Terrible Tragedy
Sigfredo Alvarez-Cegasay was arrested and charged with murder.
Joss, who had Native American ancestry, voiced John Redcorn on the cartoon series King of the Hill, and also made several memorable appearances as Chief Hatote in the NBC comedy Parks and Recreation.
After his murder, co-star Nick Offerman broke his silence in a statement: "The cast has been texting together about it all day, and we're just heartbroken. Jonathan was such a sweet guy, and we loved having him as our Chief Ken Hotate. A terrible tragedy."
Joss was set to return in the King of the Hill revival in August, but previously expressed his anger in not being invited to the show's event, revealing in a post, "to not be invited felt like being shut out of a place I helped build."
Never Miss an
Daily updates from the heart of Hollywood, right to your inbox
By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you’re agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
Joss played Chief Hatote in 'Parks and Recreation' and voiced John Redcorn (L) on 'King of the Hill.'
Joss ended up crashing the event at the Paramount Theatre before being escorted out.
