Philadelphia journalist Josh Kruger shot, killed inside Point Breeze neighborhood home

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — Josh Kruger, a Philadelphia journalist and activist, was shot and killed inside his dwelling within the Level Breeze neighborhood early Monday morning, police mentioned. The taking pictures occurred shortly earlier than 1:30 a.m. within the 2300 block of Watkins Avenue.

Kruger, 39, was shot seven instances, in accordance with police. He was taken to an space hospital, the place he later died.

Police haven’t made any arrests and no weapons had been recovered.

Jaz Brown heard the gunshots and screams of her neighbor, Kruger, exterior their door early Monday morning. 

“Josh was calling for assist and I referred to as the police to verify they’d come out for them,” Brown mentioned.  

Kruger overcame homelessness and habit to work for 5 years in metropolis authorities, dealing with Mayor Jim Kenney’s social media and serving because the communications director for the town’s Workplace of Homeless Providers.

He left metropolis authorities in 2021 to return to journalism, in accordance with his web site. He wrote for the Philadelphia Inquirer, Philadelphia Weekly, Philadelphia Metropolis Paper and different publications.

“He was greater than only a journalist,” mentioned Kendall Stephens, who was a buddy and neighbor of Kruger’s. “He was greater than only a neighborhood member. He was any person that fought that nice struggle so many people are usually not in a position to struggle that struggle as a result of we’re too busy sheltered in our personal properties questioning if somebody goes to knock down our doorways and kill us the identical approach they killed him. The identical approach they tried to kill me. And we’re bored with it.”   

Kenney mentioned in an announcement that he’s “shocked and saddened” by Kruger’s demise.

“[Kruger] cared deeply about our metropolis and its residents, which was evident in his public service and writing,” Kenney said in a statement. “Our administration was lucky to name him a colleague, and our prayers are with everybody who knew him.”

On his web site, Kruger described himself as a cat one who “hates driving vehicles, preferring to bicycle or experience trains.”

Philadelphia District Lawyer Larry Krasner mentioned in an announcement that “Josh deserved to put in writing the ending of his private story.”

“Josh Kruger lifted up probably the most weak and stigmatized folks in our communities — notably unhoused folks dwelling with habit,” Krasner mentioned. “As an overtly queer author who wrote about his personal journey surviving substance use dysfunction and homelessness, it was encouraging to see Josh be part of the Kenney administration as a spokesperson for the Workplace of Homeless Providers.”

The DA’s LGBTQ+ Advisory Committee mentioned Kruger by no means stopped preventing for Philadelphia’s LGBTQ+ neighborhood.

“Many people knew Josh Kruger as a comrade who by no means stopped advocating for queer Philadelphians dwelling on the margins of society,” the committee mentioned in an announcement. “His struggles mirrored so lots of ours — from neighborhood rejection to homelessness, to habit, to dwelling with HIV, to poverty — and his restoration, survival, and successes confirmed what’s potential when politicians and elected leaders reject bigotry and work affirmatively to uplift all folks.”

Associates and neighbors of Kruger are devastated. They mentioned he was a pressure for change who lived out the phrases he wrote to provide voice to the unvoiced. 

“This can be a shock to the system. A shock to the neighborhood,” Stephens mentioned.

“I’m so upset. I can barely suppose straight,” Stephens added. “He was liked by so many individuals. He did not deserve what occurred to him. Somebody in your own home and somebody can simply barge in a kill you. And for what!?”

Kruger was there for Stephens, a trans lady, after she was attacked exterior of her dwelling simply blocks away in 2020. 

“After I was a sufferer of a hate crime, he was one of many first folks to be neighborly and are available over and supply help. Sort phrases. At the moment I feared for my security. I feared folks would come again once more,” Stephens mentioned. 

The 2 shared a typical bond – each activists for the LGBTQ+ neighborhood.

“We admired one another as a result of I used to be an activist on the entrance traces with my blow horn however he used journalism as a type of activism,” Stephens mentioned. “He used journalism as a approach to talk about the societal ills that have an effect on our most weak communities and he cared so deeply concerning the communities.”