Shocking Police Update About Jonathan Joss' Killing Highlights LGBTQ+ Community's Fears

A new detail about Jonathan Joss' murder has come to light as authorities investigating the case released a statement, walking back their initial claims.

The beloved "King of the Hill" actor was gunned down on June 1 during a fiery altercation with a neighbor close to his San Antonio, Texas, home.

Circumstances around the shooting suggested a hate crime, especially with alleged evidence from Joss' husband. However, the San Antonio police denied such claims until now.

In a June 5 press conference, San Antonio Police Chief William McManus gave an update on the case, admitting that his department had hastily declared Joss's shooting not a hate crime.

Initially, the police concluded that their "investigation has found no evidence whatsoever" that the actor's sexuality played a role in his murder. However, following immense backlash from the public, Chief McManus confessed the statement was "way, way, way premature." Taking responsibility, he added,

"Shouldn’t have done it. It was way too soon before we had any real information, and I will own that and simply say, again, that we shouldn't have done that. It was way too early in the process for any statement of that nature to be issued."

The police chief further noted that the "premature statement" caused the LGBTQ+ community to feel "anxious," and for that, he once again apologizes. Concluding his speech, McManus paid tribute to the late star, saying, "The loss of Jonathan Joss was tragic and most, most heavily felt by the LGBTQ+ community."

Chief McManus' message at the press conference is a far cry from the initial statement the SAPD put out about Joss' killing.

Just two days after he was shot, authorities debunked online claims of a homophobic attack, saying they "thoroughly reviewed all available information." According to them, "SAPD investigators handle these allegations very seriously."

Now, with the turnaround, the police chief explained why they have yet to charge the suspected killer with a hate crime. He noted that hate crimes cannot be charged separately in Texas. Also, the District Attorney's office is responsible for determining the correct charge.

However, Chief McManus assured that his team of detectives is following every lead to get to the truth of Joss' "senseless" killing.

Following the press conference, the SAPD announced a community forum, hosted in collaboration with Pride San Antonio, a nonprofit organization specializing in Pride celebrations.

In a poster shared on the department's official X page, they urged the LGBTQ+ community in San Antonio to join them in a helpful conversation as they discuss their fears. They also promised to share updates about Joss's case during the June 5 meeting.

"We see you, we hear you, and we stand with you, today and always," the department promised.

Unfortunately, the walk-back by the police has further enraged members of the LGBTQ+ community. Many took to online platforms to rant about how cases involving hate crimes are often taken with levity.

"SAPD continuously fails the LGBTQ community, particularly when they're PoC," one user wrote.

"The mishandling of this case is atrocious. SAPD is unprofessional. Something larger needs to be done within this department," another comment read.

A third fan suggested the police chief resign over the poor handling of the case. "Chief McManus HAS to go! How dare he allow this big of a mistake to happen," the critic penned.

Some fans insinuated that the Pride event was a ploy to victimize members of the LGBTQ+ community.

The new update on Jonathan Joss' murder comes after his husband, Tristan Kern de Gonzales, alleged that the shooting was inspired by homophobia.

In a lengthy Facebook post, Gonzales recalled details of his husband's death, alleging that their San Antonio neighbors harassed and threatened them for two years. He claimed their burned property was due to those threats.

Unfortunately, the bullying continued to that fateful day when they saw the skull of one of their dogs placed in plain view. Gonzales recounted that he and Joss cried in distress, which drew the attention of their neighbor, who was offended.

Gonzales said the neighbor began "yelling violent homophobic slurs," after which he reached for his rifle and shot at Joss.

The suspect has been identified as Sigfredo Alvarez Ceja. He has since been released on a $200,000 bail while awaiting trial.