(NewsNation) — Police are still investigating whether the sexual orientation of Jonathan Joss, a Native American actor best known for “King of the Hill,” played a part in the motivation behind the shooting that killed him.

Joss’ husband, Tristan Kern de Gonzales, has claimed that the man who killed the actor yelled “violent homophobic slurs” before shooting him. At first, San Antonio police had said they found “no evidence whatsoever to indicate that Mr. Joss’ murder was related to his sexual orientation.”

However, on Thursday, San Antonio Police Chief William McManus said that statement had been made prematurely. He said Joss’ sexual orientation and if it played a role in his death is still under investigation.

Here’s what you should know about the actor, his career and his death.

Jonathon Joss’ husband says suspect called him racial slur

Joss’ husband said the suspect, 56-year-old Sigfredo Ceja Alvarez, called him and his husband “jotos,” a Spanish slur for gay people, after the shooting.

Kern de Gonzales said, “I’ve been called that word while I was sitting on a bench with Jonathan, eating lunch… And I got called that, holding Jonathan while he died.” Kern de Gonzales believes that his husband was killed solely because of his sexual orientation.

He claimed that their neighbors would say anti-gay slurs to the couple and complain about them being “loud.” He said they felt unwanted in their own neighborhood, but acknowledged that his husband was loud from time to time.

“Me and Jonathan would be out there late at night playing the drums, singing, being a nuisance… If you’re going to make it hard for us to live here, you ain’t going to get no sleep,” Joss’ husband said.

One neighbor told NBC News anonymously that Joss was a difficult neighbor to have. “He’s been a nightmare,” the neighbor reportedly said.

Suspect accused of confronting Jonathan Joss, husband at burnt-down home

According to Joss’ husband, the couple had gone to their property to retrieve mail on Sunday. When they arrived, they allegedly found the skull of a dog and thought it belonged to one of their dogs that had died in their house fire in January.

Joss started marching up and down the street with a pitchfork and yelling, according to his husband. Several minutes later, Ceja Alvarez allegedly shot Joss. In the police report, it shows that Ceja Alvarez told officers, “I shot him,” when they arrested him.

Joss had reportedly pushed his husband out of the way when Ceja Alvarez started firing.

A local San Antonio news station spoke with a friend of Joss, Robert Rios, who said the neighbors had argued for years.

NBC News reported that Joss’ husband held him during his final moments. Kern de Gonzales said,

“I didn’t want him to struggle and everything, so I decided to tell him I loved him. And despite the severity of everything, he was able to look up at me and acknowledge what I was saying, so I know he heard me. I just kept telling him: ‘It’s OK. You need to cross over. You don’t need to keep struggling. You need to go ahead and cross over easy.'”

Jonathan Joss, husband had incidents with suspect in past: Report

McManus told reporters that police had been called to Joss’ home and neighborhood around 70 times over the past two years. All calls were allegedly related to “neighborhood type disturbances,” with Joss making some of the calls and his neighbors making some of the calls.

According to NBC News, Ceja Alvarez told police in June 2024 that Joss went to his house with a crossbow and yelled racial slurs at him. Joss told police that he walked over to his neighbor’s house to “talk about their dogs fighting with each other,” according to the police report.

The report also stated that Joss “got very defensive and stated that he does not bother” his neighbor. Authorities did allegedly find a crossbow in Joss’ living room.

Joss then accused Ceja Alvarez of burning their home down in January, according to different police records. Joss allegedly told police that he had been using a barbecue in his living room because he didn’t have heat or electricity. However, he said that he turned it off before going to lunch.

He told police that someone had seen Ceja Alvarez on their property the day before the fire. The officer filing out the report wrote, “I have classified this fire to be undetermined in nature at this time but cannot rule out human involvement, intentional or unintentional.”

Celebrities, friends pay tribute to Jonathan Joss

Since the shooting, many friends and celebrities have taken to social media to pay tribute to the late actor. Chris Pratt, who worked with Joss during “Parks and Recreation,” made a post on his Instagram story, saying:

“Damn. RIP Jonathan. Always such a kind dude. Sad to see. Prayers up. Hug your loved ones.”

Our Lady of the Lake University posted on Facebook, saying Joss was “a trailblazer in his field. His work and advocacy have left a lasting impact, and his legacy will continue to inspire.”

The creators and producers of “King of the Hill” also posted about Joss, saying, “His voice will be missed at King of the Hill, and we extend our deepest condolences to Jonathan’s friends and family.”

Jonathan Joss best known for ‘King of the Hill’ voice acting

Joss, who was 59 years old, grew up in San Antonio and graduated from Our Lady of the Lake University in 1990. Most people know Joss for his role in “King of the Hill.” Joss voiced John Redcorn, who was a Native American character in the animated series.

“King of the Hill” had 13 seasons, running from 1997 to 2008. The Associated Press reported that a reboot is scheduled to launch in August, and Joss had already worked on it.

Joss was also known for his role on “Parks and Recreation.” He played Chief Ken Hotate in that series. He also appeared in two episodes of “Tulsa King” back in 2022.

In January, Joss’ childhood home in San Antonio burned down. He lost everything he owned, and his three dogs were killed during the fire. In a June 2 Facebook post, Joss’ husband wrote the following on Joss’ page:

“My husband Jonathan Joss and I were involved in a shooting while checking the mail at the site of our former home. That home was burned down after over two years of threats from people in the area who repeatedly told us they would set it on fire. We reported these threats to law enforcement multiple times and nothing was done.”

On May 14, Joss wrote about the fire, indicating he and his husband were searching for a new home in Los Angeles. By the end of May, the couple was back in San Antonio, with Joss taking part in a live music performance in Austin.

Ceja Alvarez has been charged with murder and is currently out on a $200,000 bond. Under his bond, he is not allowed to have any firearms or talk with Joss’ family. A pre-trial hearing for Ceja Alvarez has allegedly been set for August 19.