Josh Kruger, a 39-year-old journalist, was shot and killed early Monday morning at his residence in the Point Breeze neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, CNN reported.
Authorities said they arrived at the scene around 1:30 a.m. ET, and discovered Kruger shot seven times in the street. He was rushed to the hospital and pronounced dead 40 minutes later.
No arrests have been made, and no weapon has been found thus far.
Deputy Police Commissioner Frank Vanore told The Philadelphia Inquirer that police believe an intruder entered Kruger's home and shot him before he went outside, sought help, and finally collapsed.
However, there were no signs of forced entry, and Vanore said authorities think either the door was open or the offender knew how to get it open.
Kruger primarily wrote about issues surrounding the LGBTQ community, homelessness, and addiction. Among the outlets he wrote for are The Inquirer, The Philadelphia Citizen, and Philadelphia Weekly.
He also worked under Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney from 2016 to 2021 as a content and communications director before returning to journalism.
"We are shocked and saddened by Josh's death," Kenney said in a statement. "Josh cared deeply about our city and its residents, which was evident both in his public service and in his writing.
"His intelligence, creativity, passion, and wit shone bright in everything that he did – and his light was dimmed much too soon. We were exceedingly fortunate to call him a colleague and our prayers are with everyone who knew and loved him."
Kruger was HIV-positive and fought to break the stigma around living with the virus. For a period of time, he was homeless and had a crystal meth addiction before overcoming it.
Luca Cacciatore ✉
Luca Cacciatore, a Newsmax general assignment writer, is based in Arlington, Virginia, reporting on news and politics.
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