Josh Kruger, Philly community activist and journalist, shot to death in home, officials say

PHILADELPHIA -- The victim of a homicide in Philadelphia has been identified as a local journalist and community activist.

Josh Kruger, 39, was shot seven times inside his own home in the Point Breeze section around 1:30 a.m. Monday.

He died at Penn Presbyterian Hospital about 45 minutes later.

There was no word on a motive for this shooting. No arrests have been made.

Sources confirm to ABC Philadelphia affiliate WPVI there were no signs of forced entry. The home does have cameras, but it's unclear if they captured any images of the shooter.

Friends say he had recently posted online about threats, including an incident where he filed a police report after his home was vandalized in late August.

Kendall Stephens, a Black trans activist, said Kruger helped her after she was violently attacked in 2020. She wants answers about her friend.

"He was more than just a journalist, he was more than just a community member, he was somebody who fought the great fight," Stephens said. "So many of us aren't able to fight that fight."

District Attorney Larry Krasner said in a statement that Kruger was an "openly queer writer who wrote about his own journey surviving substance use disorder and homelessness."

Kruger was a journalist with bylines in multiple publications, including The Philadelphia Inquirer, Philadelphia Magazine, The Philadelphia Citizen, WHYY and Billy Penn.

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"Josh deserved to write the ending of his personal story," Krasner said.

Kruger was also a former spokesperson for the city's Office of Homeless Services.

Mayor Jim Kenney said in a statement that Kruger "cared deeply about our city and its residents, which was evident in his public service and writing."

The LGBTQ+ Advisory Committee said Kruger was a comrade who "never stopped advocating for queer Philadelphians living on the margins of society."

"His struggles mirrored so many of ours - from community rejection, to homelessness, to addiction, to living with HIV, to poverty - and his recovery, survival, and successes showed what's possible when politicians and elected leaders reject bigotry and work affirmatively to uplift all people," the Committee said in a statement.