“We won’t stop talking about this,” the widower said of his husband’s death
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NEED TO KNOW
- Tristan Kern de Gonzales is calling on social media users to keep Jonathan Joss’ memory alive
- Kern de Gonzales claims his husband’s death is the result of a hate crime
- San Antonio police said their investigation found “no evidence to indicate that the Mr. Joss’s murder was related to his sexual orientation”
Tristan Kern de Gonzales, the husband of the late Jonathan Joss, 59, is using social media to call for justice after the actor was killed in what he claims is a hate crime.
“Jonathan Joss is my husband. I don’t say ‘was’ because he will always be my husband. He will always be the love of my life,” Kern de Gonzalez said in a Wednesday, June 4 TikTok video posted on the account Justice for Joss.
He explained that he was “not very familiar with TikTok” or “the spotlight,” but started the profile to get enough followers to go live and spread the word about Joss being fatally shot by a neighbor on June 1 in San Antonio, Texas.
Kern de Gonzales said he’d tried to use a friend’s TikTok account to go live to discuss the shooting, but claimed the platform removed the feature, leading him to start his own account to try again.
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“I’m gonna keep talking about, not only what happened on the day of my husband’s death, but also, we’re gonna share just everything about Jonathan and everything that he stood for,” he said, adding, “We’re gonna laugh together. We’re gonna cry together. We’re gonna be angry together.”
“We won’t stop talking about this,” Kern de Gonzales continued. “I’m not going to let the SAPD or anyone else silence the fact that this was a hate crime, and I just won’t be silenced.”
He concluded, “I may not be as loud as my husband, but I carry his strength with me. I won’t stop fighting for what I know is right and for my love.”
Kern de Gonzales shared a post on Joss’ Facebook page on June 2, claiming the incident was a hate crime.
“My husband Jonathan Joss and I were involved in a shooting while checking the mail at the site of our former home,” his statement began. “That home was burned down after over two years of threats from people in the area who repeatedly told us they would set it on fire. We reported these threats to law enforcement multiple times and nothing was done.”
However, the San Antonio Police Department said their investigation “has found no evidence to indicate that the Mr. Joss’s murder was related to his sexual orientation.”
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The SAPD did not respond to PEOPLE’s previous requests for comment. However, on Wednesday, they issued an update to their Facebook account.
“We join with the family, friends, and fans mourning the murder of Johnathan Joss—a loss felt deeply not just in San Antonio, but around the world by those who knew him through his work and spirit. Although we arrested a suspect, our homicide detectives continue to follow every lead to fully understand what led to this senseless act,” the statement said.
“We invite you to join us and Pride San Antonio… at an upcoming community meeting where we’ll share updates and listen to your concerns,” police added.
