Arfin, Jonathan Joss, best known for his roles on Parks and Recreation and King of the Hill, was shot and killed on Sunday, June 1st, 2025.
Joss' husband, Tristan Kern de Gonzales, alleges that for years, the couple endured harassment from neighbors in San Antonio, Texas that was rooted in homophobia.
Gonzales claims that some of this harassment came in the form of threats to burn the couples' house down. Their home was destroyed in a fire earlier this year; the cause of the fire is still undetermined.
Joss and Gonzales lost their two beloved dogs in the blaze.
On the day of the shooting, the couple had returned to the property to retrieve mail. According to Gonzales, they noticed one of their dog's skulls and harness displayed in plain sight — possibly laid out as a taunt or a threat. Upon seeing this, the couple became visibly and audibly upset, which led their neighbor to approach them.
Gonzales reported that Sigfredo Alvarez Cejam approached them, began "yelling violent homophobic slurs", and then raised a gun and fired it at the couple.
Joss was pronounced dead at the scene after he was shot multiple times.
Joss was a gay, Native American man living in San Antonio, Texas. Based on his husband's description of events, they both faced acute bigotry and abuse at the hands of their community. There seems to be clear indicators that Joss' murder could have been a hate crime.
The police must take this seriously. Both Native Americans and members of the LGBTQ+ community have a heightened risk of violence in the United States — and when that violence is in direct response to their racial, sexual, or gender identity, it is considered a hate crime.
The San Antonio police owe it to Jonathan Joss, and everybody in the United States, to seek true justice. If this was indeed a hate crime, it must be treated as such. We need to send a clear message that hate and violence will not be tolerated. Sign the petition to demand justice for Jonathan Joss!
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