Cast of Parks and Recreation Remembers Jonathan Joss After Tragic Death

The “Parks and Recreation” cast is mourning the loss of co-star Jonathan Joss, who was tragically shot over the weekend.

Nick Offerman shared that he and the rest of their “Parks and Recreation” family have been “texting together all day” about the sad news, feeling a deep sense of grief over Joss’s unexpected passing.

Offerman, 54, expressed, “We’re just heartbroken.” He spoke about this in a statement made on Monday.

“Jonathan was a really sweet guy, and we loved having him as our Chief Ken Scallop,” Offerman added. “It’s just a terrible tragedy.”

Chris Pratt, also from the show, reflected on Joss’s impact following the news of his death. “Damn it, Jonathan,” he wrote on social media. “That kind man always.”

Pratt continued, “He played Ken Scallop in the park and [The Magnificent Seven]. It’s sad to see. Pray. Hold your loved ones close.”

Joss portrayed Prime Minister Ken Shotate, the leader of the Native American Wamapoke tribe, during his time on the series from 2011 to 2015. Alongside Offerman and Pratt, Joss starred alongside Amy Poehler, Rashida Jones, Aubrey Plaza, and Adam Scott.

These heartfelt tributes from Offerman and Pratt came a day after Joss, 59, was shot at his property in San Antonio, Texas, apparently related to a dispute with a neighbor.

The suspected shooter, identified as Sigfredo Alvarez Ceja, was taken into custody shortly after the incident and is facing felony first-degree murder charges with a bond set at $200,000. He’s expected to appear in court in August.

Joss’s husband, Tristan Caen de Gonzalez, shared on Facebook that the actor’s murder might have stemmed from a hate crime, stating, “He was murdered by someone who could not stand the sight of two men loving each other.”

However, the San Antonio Police Department has stated that their investigation found no evidence to support claims of a hate crime related to Joss’s sexual orientation.

Notably, Joss, who voiced John Redcorn in “King of the Hill,” had just participated in the ATX TV Festival in Austin, Texas, less than a week before his death.

Witnesses described an incident where Joss walked to the microphone during the panel and started speaking prematurely. He mentioned a past experience where his house had burned down, saying, “I look at the microphone, I use it.” Eventually, security escorted him from the venue.

Sadly, just two days later, Joss lost his life. Neighbors pointed out that he had returned to his burned-out home to collect firefighting checks for victims of the incident.