Johnny Wactor’s tragic last words revealed by close friend who held him as he died
Poppy Bilderbeck
Featured Image Credit: Gilbert Carrasquillo/GC Images via Getty, Anita Joy/Instagram
Johnny Wactor's co-worker has spoken out about the 'hero's' final words after he was fatally shot shielding her during a suspected theft.
On Saturday (25 May), General Hospital star Johnny Wactor had just finished a shift at a bar in Los Angeles when he saw three men near his car and approached them, ending up fatally shot after putting himself between the men and a co-worker he was with.
The LAPD received reports of a shooting near the intersection of Hope Street and Pico Boulevard at around 3am.
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According to Wactor's brother Grant, he approached the three men after suspecting they were trying to do something to his vehicle, but when the the 37-year-old tried to speak to them, one drew a gun.
Wactor then put himself in between the gunman and his co-worker, Anita Joy, and was fatally shot.
And Joy has since opened up about the shooting and the actor's final words while paying tribute to him in a post to social media.
Joy took to Instagram yesterday to share several images of Wactor alongside a statement.
The statement reads: "My friend of eight years went from laughing together, working side by side, leaving our bartending shift and walking to our cars. To him dying in my arms in the streets of DTLA in the dark hours of 3am."
Joy reflects 'everything happened in an instant,' explaining she and Wactor 'cautiously approached the men' who were by the actor's car, 'questioning what they were doing, at first thinking the car was being towed'.
She continues: "We were no threat and Johnny kept his cool as he always did, simply stating that it was his car and for them to leave. Hands open to his sides in peace.
"As I heard the shot ring into the night, he forcefully tumbled back into my arms. As I grabbed for him, I shouted 'Hunny you ok?!' And he only responded, 'Nope! Shot!'
"We toppled onto the street where I pushed my legs under him and tried to hold his body up while screaming for help and screaming at him to stay with me."
Joy explained the shooting happened at 'too close range' and so despite desperate attempts to stem Wactor's bleeding, it was 'too extreme of a wound for him to survive'.
"But my god, he fought to stay."
She resolved: "I am utterly heartbroken and so very angry. My only peace is that I was with him and this didn't happen to him alone - my only other peace will be seeing these awful men brought to justice."
The investigation into the incident is ongoing and at the time of writing, no arrests have yet been made.