The famous actor is shot dead by thieves who tried to steal his car

Actor Johnny Wactor, 37, was shot dead by thieves who were trying to steal the catalytic converter from his car.

The shooting happened around 3 a.m. Saturday in downtown Los Angeles when Wactor approached three men near his car, according to police.

One of the three opened fire and Wactor later died in hospital. The suspects drove away and no arrests have been made.

The actor had been at a bar, said his mother, Scarlett Wactor. When he saw the three near his car, he thought he had parked it wrong, the mother told Sky News.

Wactor played Brando Corbin on the long-running soap opera General Hospital – which first aired from 2020 to 2022.

He also appeared in a number of films and television series, including Station 19, NCIS, Westworld and the video game Call of Duty: Vanguard.

NBC News reports that thieves target catalytic converters for their valuable metals, including platinum, palladium and rhodium