Journalist and LGBTQ advocate found shot to death in his home
'Josh deserved to write the ending of his personal story.'
A Philadelphia journalist and LGBTQ activist was found dead from gunshot wounds in his home early on Monday morning.
Police responded to reports of a shooting at the home of Joshua Kruger in Philadelphia’s Point Breeze neighborhood around 1.28am on Monday morning.
When they arrived, Philadelphia Police Department officers found Kruger, 39, with seven gunshot wounds throughout chest and abdomen.
He was transported by paramedics to Presbyterian Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 2.13am.
No weapons were recovered at the scene and no arrests have been made at this time, police said.
Kruger was a longtime Philadelphia journalist and a well-known activist in the city’s LGBTQ community. His reporting and commentary pieces have been published in the Philadelphia Inquirer, Philadelphia Magazine, and LGBTQ Nation.
He frequently wrote about his own past experiences with homelessness, drug addiction, and living with HIV.
Kruger won awards from the Society of Professional Journalists for newspaper commentary in 2014 and 2015.
He also served as a former communications director for the city government, most recently for the Office of Public Health and Office of Homeless Services.
Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner said Kruger was motivated by his own history of substance use disorder and homelessness.
‘Josh Kruger lifted up the most vulnerable and stigmatized people in our communities – particularly unhoused people living with addiction,’ Krasner said.
The District Attorney’s Office promised to work with investigators to identify and prosecute the person responsible for his death.
‘Josh deserved to write the ending of his personal story,’ Krasner said.
Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney said he was ‘shocked and saddened’ by the news of Kruger’s death.
‘He cared deeply about our city and its residents, which was evident in his public service and writing. Our administration was fortunate to call him a colleague, and our prayers are with everyone who knew him.’
Kruger worked for Kenney’s administration as a communications director from 2016 through 2019, but was also critical of the mayor’s policies regarding homelessness and the opioid epidemic.
The Philadelphia Citizen, a nonprofit publication where Kruger’s most recent stories were published, remembered the reporter as ‘big-hearted’ and a ‘passionate advocate for those who needed it most.’
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