Jonathan Joss's Husband Says the Man Who Shot Him Yelled Homophobic Slurs

After news broke that Jonathan Joss, a Native American actor best known for playing John Redcorn on King of the Hill, was shot and killed, many wanted to learn more about the actor and his life. Although details are still emerging about the incident, an account from Jonathan's husband that was posted on Facebook suggested that this shooting wasn't random.

As Jonathan's husband's story continued to spread, many wanted to know more about him and what he said. Here's what we know.

Jonathan's husband, Tristan Kern de Gonzales, is not a public figure in the same way he was. According to The Los Angeles Times, the two just got married on Valentine's Day of 2025, and we don't know how long they had been together.

What's clear, though, is that Tristan firmly believes that his husband was killed because of their relationship.

In a post on Jonathan's Facebook page, Tristan said that Jonathan was shot while the two of them were checking the mail at the site of their former home, which had been burned to the ground "after over two years of threats from people in the area who repeatedly told us they would set it on fire."

Tristan then explained what caused their most acute distress.

"When we returned to the site to check our mail, we discovered the skull of one of our dogs and its harness placed in clear view," he claimed. "This caused both of us severe emotional distress. 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."

Tristan also explained that Jonathan had pushed him out of the way and "saved my life," adding that he was "murdered by someone who could not stand the sight of two men loving each other."

In a statement to USA Today, the San Antonio Police Department said that they have found no evidence to support Tristan's claims that the shooting was motivated by Jonathan's sexual orientation or by their relationship.

"We take such allegations very seriously and have thoroughly reviewed all available information. Should any new evidence come to light, we will charge the suspect accordingly," the department added.

In a post on Facebook from April, Jonathan said that he was hurt not to have been invited to a recent King of the Hill event, and also said that his childhood home had recently burned down with all of his possessions inside it.

"Everything I owned ... gone," he said. "My memories, my keepsakes, and most painfully, all of my dogs. My companions, my family, my comfort in this world lost in the flames. I've been rebuilding, piece by piece, soul by soul."

While the motives around Jonathan's death are still ambiguous, his loss is acutely felt. To be shot and killed outside your own home is a horrific, tragic way to die.