Jonathan Joss was allegedly escorted out of a TV festival after expressing disappointment in not being asked to be part of the “King of the Hill” panel.
The actor, who voiced John Redcorn in the Fox animated series, was fatally shot on Sunday, June 1, following a heated altercation in Texas.
He was 59.
The Post confirmed the suspect, Sigfredo Alvarez Ceja, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder. He is currently behind bars, with his bond set at $200K.
However, days before the argument that allegedly led to his death, Joss was removed from a theater by security during the “King of the Hill” panel at the ATX TV Festival, eyewitnesses told People.
The alleged incident — which was caught on camera by a fan — happened at the Paramount Theatre in Austin, Texas, on Friday, May 30, with insiders telling the outlet that Joss, who was in the crowd, walked up to a microphone that was supposed to be used for the Q&A portion of the event and began to speak before it was time for the audience to interact with those on the panel.
“It seemed he did get a little emotional while he spoke, but mostly he was calm and he just needed to say his piece,” the insider told the outlet, noting that the show’s co-creators Mike Judge and Greg Daniels didn’t appear worried.
“I’m an actor,” Joss said. “I see a mic, I use it. I see a wrong, I make it right. I take a breath, I want to breathe.”
During his spiel, the actor revealed his home burned down three months before.
While he told the audience it was “because I’m gay,” Joss’ neighbors told TMZ that he allegedly used a BBQ pit to heat his home after his power was shut off.
Later in the video, one of the creators shared with the audience that Joss played John Redcorn on “King of the Hill” and was returning for the revival.
As the audience clapped, Joss began walking toward the stage and across the front row, which is when the video ends.
However, the eyewitness claimed that security quickly approached him and escorted him out of the theater.
“As Joss moved away from the mic to go back to his seat, that’s when security told him he had to leave and he exited the theater calmly and cooperatively,” the onlooker claimed, adding that the panel allegedly got “back on track” after Joss’ exit.
The Post reached out to a spokesperson for the ATX Festival for comment.
Joss was shot and killed two days after the festival, with neighbors claiming he returned to his burned-down home to collect a victim’s fire fund check.
Once he arrived, he stumbled upon the skeleton of one of his beloved dogs that died in the blaze, and it reportedly sent him into a rage.
Witnesses told TMZ that he began shouting at anyone in his path, including Alvarez Ceja, who allegedly got in a vehicle, fired several shots at Joss, and fled the scene.
He was arrested roughly a block from the shooting.
Joss’ husband, Tristan Kern de Gonzales, spoke out following his shocking death.
“This caused both of us severe emotional distress. We began yelling and crying in response to the pain of what we saw,” Gonzales said in a Facebook post, recalling finding their dead dog’s remains. “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.”
While Joss’ husband claimed the shooting was a hate crime, law enforcement told The Post that no evidence was found to support those accusations.
A GoFundMe was started for Joss earlier this year after the fire, showing that $10,721 in donations were collected to help him recoup what he lost.
The fundraiser page also revealed that his dad had built the home for his mother in 1957, and three of his dogs died in the blaze.
Besides voicing John Redcorn on “King of the Hill,” Joss also starred as Chief Ken Hotate in “Parks and Recreation” and appeared in shows like “Ray Donovan” and “Friday Night Lights.”
