Josh Kruger, a reporter and activist from Philadelphia, was reportedly shot dead inside his house early on Monday.
Around 1:29 a.m., the 39-year-old journalist was shot seven times in the chest and abdomen at his Point Breeze flat. About 45 minutes later, at Penn Presbyterian Hospital, he was declared deceased. No one has been arrested so far, according to the police, and no weapons have been discovered.
In the recent past, Mr. Kruger was a writer who wrote on a variety of topics for periodicals including The Philadelphia Citizen and The Philadelphia Inquirer, including HIV, homelessness, LGBTQ+ rights, and addiction. According to his website and LinkedIn, he also spent five years working for the City of Philadelphia. Prior to that, he worked for the Mayor’s Office, the Office of Homeless Services, the Department of Public Health, and others.
He received the Pennsylvania newspaper commentary Society of Professional Journalists award in 2014 and 2015 for his work.
His acquaintances said that he had lately written online about threats, including one instance in which he reported a crime after his home was trashed in late August, according to ABC Chicago.
Commissioner Vanore told The Philadelphia Inquirer. “Either the door was open, or the offender knew how to get the door open. We just don’t know yet.”
”We are deeply disturbed by the killing of freelance journalist Josh Kruger and extend our condolences to his colleagues and loved ones. We call on investigators to thoroughly investigate his killing to determine whether the attack was related to his work,” Katherine Jacobsen, the Committee to Protect Journalists’ U.S. and Canada program coordinator.
