‘King of the Hill’ Actor Jonathan Joss Shot, Husband Claims Homophobic Motive

Actor Jonathan Joss, famous for his role in the TV show “King of the Hill,” was shot in his neighborhood near San Antonio, Texas. 

The Details: Joss and his husband were visiting the site of his home, which burned down in January, when their neighbor approached them and opened fire. Joss’s husband, Tristan Kern de Gonzales, claims they saw the bones of their deceased dog propped up in their yard, causing them to cry out. Gonzales says their neighbor then approached them while “yelling violent homophobic slurs,” raised his gun, and fired.

For Context: Police said, “We take such allegations very seriously and have thoroughly reviewed all available information,” but they did not find evidence that Joss was killed due to his sexual orientation. According to KENS 5 (Center bias), neighbors reported that Joss and his killer, Sigfredo Ceja Alvarez, had a “long history of trouble” before this attack.

How the Media Covered It: New York Post (Lean Right) and New York Times (Lean Left) both reported Gonzalez’s claim that he and his husband were “repeatedly harassed because they were gay.” Both outlets also included the police’s statement that no evidence was found to substantiate his claim that this was a hate crime. KENS 5 was one of the only outlets to report on the neighbors’ claims of the long-standing feud, including past videos of Joss marching around the neighborhood carrying a pitchfork and yelling. 

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