Prior to General Hospital alum Johnny Wactor’s untimely death near the bar where he worked, the warnings by his co-workers to the owners about safety fell on deaf ears. Now, the venue has declared that it will do what it can to turn things around.
Tragedy Spurs Changes
When he wasn’t acting, former GH star Johnny Wactor worked at Sinners y Santos, a bar located in a high-end entertainment complex called Level 8 in Los Angeles. But on the fateful early hours of May 26, he was walking his co-worker Anita Joy to her car and surprised criminals who were trying to steal his catalytic converter, who then shot him to death. In an Instagram post, Joy detailed the horrific events and held the complex accountable by writing, “These criminals need to be caught — Level 8 needs to provide parking for their late hour staff as they originally promised — This cannot be something that isn’t responded to with action, it needs to be addressed in a manner to prevent anything like this ever happening again to the best of their ability — Level 8 needs to contribute to Johnny’s family to honor and respect him for all the hard work and effort he did for them.”
In an interview with Daily Mail, Joy explained that workers had been trying to tell their bosses how dangerous the streets around the venue were, but they didn’t listen despite the fact that a female had been mugged nearby in late 2023. Joy stated, “We need to really crack down on the way that these criminals, even when they are caught, are slapped on the wrist and sent back on the streets,” adding the heartbreaking observation, “Obviously, this involves a murder, and that is hopefully not going to be the case, but that’s why we need to raise awareness because he was killed over a $300 car part.”
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Level 8 Claims Things Will Be Different
The owners of the complex took to its Instagram page to post a couple of images of Wactor and wrote, “It is with a heavy heart that we mourn a valued and cherished team member, Johnny Wactor, whom we lost to a random act of violence a week ago. This has been difficult to process for all who knew him. He was beloved amongst his peers and co-workers, and we will all miss his talent and generous spirit. Our hearts go out to his family and everyone affected by this senseless, terrible tragedy.”
Attempting to save face in light of the tragedy, Level 8 further noted that they “take safety very seriously. Since we opened, we have provided the option for security escorts to the nearby parking lot to our staff after hours. And in light of this tragic incident, we have been talking to our team and professionals in the field, and are actively researching additional safety measures for our staff.”
It Might Be Too Little, Too Late
Waiting for something truly unimaginable to happen before acting, the entertainment complex nevertheless addressed the brutal reality of Wactor’s demise. “We understand that a tragedy such as this impacts everyone differently and profoundly,” they continued, adding, “We are committed to providing a safe and supportive environment for everyone at Level 8.” The post also included a link for the GoFundMe campaign that was created for Wactor’s family, as well as a tip line to report crimes, noting that the murderers are “still at large.”
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