Johnny Wactor, recognized for his role in the series "General Hospital," was murdered in Los Angeles in the early hours of Saturday. According to preliminary information, the 37-year-old actor was shot several times after three criminals tried to steal his car in downtown LA. His mother confirmed the news via TMZ.

Wactor was born in 1986 in Charleston, South Carolina, and began his artistic career in 2007 when he was part of the TV show "Army Wives," broadcast by Lifetime, where he played different roles. In addition to "General Hospital," he was part of series such as "Westworld," "The OA," "NCIS," "Station 19," "Criminal Minds" and "Hollywood Girl."

As for his murder, it occurred early Saturday morning when Wactor was walking through Los Angeles with a co-worker. At one point, the actor saw three men who were apparently trying to steal his car and ended up killing him.

"Scarlett says she was told Johnny didn't try to fight or stop them ... but, the men shot him anyway before taking off. According to police info, paramedics rushed to the scene just after 3 AM PT. He was pronounced dead at the hospital. Police have not provided a description of the suspects ... but, Johnny's mother says she hopes they'll be found quickly," TMZ reported.This story is developing...