"General Hospital" actor Johnny Wactor was killed early Saturday while trying to stop a group of thieves tampering with a car in downtown Los Angeles, his mother confirmed.
Wactor, who died at the age of 37, was shot while trying to stop a group of three men attempting to steal his car's catalytic converter. The shooting took place around 3 a.m. near the intersection of Hope Street and Pico Boulevard, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
One of the suspects fired at the victim and then the trio fled the scene. Police were dispatched to the location at about 3:15 a.m. Paramedics rushed the shooting victim to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
"I just don't understand what a senseless coward act by that person," Scarlett Wactor, the victim's mother, told NBC4.
Get top local stories in Southern California delivered to you every morning. >Sign up for NBC LA's News Headlines newsletter.
No description of the suspects was immediately available.
Catalytic converters are popular targets for thieves because they are rich in precious metals that can be resold.
Anyone with information regarding the shooting was urged to call the LAPD's Central Station at 213-486-6606. Tipsters who prefer to remain anonymous can call Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477 or visit lacrimestoppers.org.
