"Always such a kind dude" - Chris Pratt remembers Jonathan Joss after his untimely death

In a tragic turn of events, actor Jonathan Joss was shot and killed during a dispute at his property in San Antonio, Texas, on June 1. In the wake of this horrific tragedy, several former castmates and friends of the late actor have paid tribute to his work and sense of humanity via social media, including Chris Pratt.

The Guardians of the Galaxy franchise lead did so on his Instagram stories on June 2, when he posted an image taken from an article announcing Jonathan’s passing.

“Damn. RIP Jonathan. Always such a kind dude. He played Ken Hotate on Parks and was also in Mag 7. Sad to see. Prayers up. Hug your loved ones.”

Chris Pratt shared the screen with Joss in Parks and Recreation, as well as The Magnificent Seven, a remake of the 1960s classic. The image on Pratt's post captured Joss in character on the NBC sitcom in which they shared the screen.

Chris Pratt's fellow castmates pay tribute to Jonathan Joss, and the alleged cause of death

Upon the news of his demise going public, PEOPLE had the chance to speak with Nick Offerman, another former colleague of Joss, who portrayed Ron Swanson on Parks and Recreation. Before Chris Pratt’s post, he communicated that,

“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 spent a total of five years on the sitcom, which served as the launching pad for several successful careers post its success. While Chris Pratt is the obvious example, Aubrey Plaza, Aziz Ansari, Adam Scott, and Rashida Jones have all enjoyed tremendous success since their time on the show.

Having been shot by his fifty-six-year-old neighbour, Sigfredo Alvarez Cejam, Jonathon Joss passed away on June 1. According to local law enforcement, authorities responded to a shooting in progress at around 7 p.m., where they found Joss lying “near the roadway”. Joss, after the performance of life-saving procedures, was declared dead at the scene.

Cejam fled in a vehicle but was arrested and put in custody shortly afterward. While he has been booked for murder, the investigation is still ongoing, per the most recent reports.

Jonathan’s husband, Tristan Kern de Gonzales, has alleged that this is a hate crime in response to him and his late husband’s sexual preferences. His account of the incident is as follows. First, he and Joss went to get their mail when they noticed the harness and skull of one of their dogs out in the open, causing them to panic.

“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.”

Gonzales continued,

“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.”

Trending

Gonzales concluded by confessing that Joss was grateful to everyone who supported him and considered them family. In addition, Gonzales will continue to honor the life they had built together, for each other, and protect Joss' legacy.

Hopefully, the investigation can uncover the truth quickly as those closest to Jonathan Joss (like his husband and castmates, including Chris Pratt amongst others) continue to mourn.

×

Was this article helpful?

Thank You for feedback