Police are investigating after an LGBTQ+ and homelessness community advocate and journalist was shot and killed inside his South Philadelphia home early Monday.
According to law enforcement officials, the 39-year-old Josh Kruger was shot several times in the chest and abdomen just before 1:30 a.m. in a home along the 2300 block of Watkins Street.
Kruger died at the hospital a short time later, police said.
On Tuesday afternoon, a police source confirmed to NBC10 that law enforcement officials believe they may have identified a person of interest in Kruger's slaying.
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However, no arrests have yet been made.
Shortly after news of Kruger's death was made public, Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney in a post on X, the platform formally known as Twitter, remembered the journalist as a person who "cared deeply about our city and its residents."
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"Our administration was fortunate to call him a colleague, and our prayers are with everyone who knew him," Kenney wrote.
Kruger's work for his communities was also remembered by the district attorney's office:
“Josh Kruger lifted up the most vulnerable and stigmatized people in our communities – particularly unhoused people living with addiction," District Attorney Larry Krasner said in a news release. "As an openly queer writer who wrote about his own journey surviving substance use disorder and homelessness, it was encouraging to see Josh join the Kenney administration as a spokesperson for the Office of Homeless Services. Josh deserved to write the ending of his personal story."
There are additional resources for people or communities that have endured gun violence in Philadelphia. Further information can be found here.
Kruger's impact on the city was expressed by the DA office's LGBTQ+ Advisory Committee:
""Many of us knew Josh Kruger as 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. Even while Josh worked for the Mayor, he never stopped speaking out against police violence, politicized attacks on trans and queer people, or the societal discarding of homeless and addicted Philadelphians."
Officials said no one has been arrested and no weapon was recovered, but have said that an investigation into this incident is ongoing.
Entering Monday, at least 330 people had been killed in Philadelphia, according to Philadelphia police data. That's down about 19% from the same time last year, but still on pace to be one of the deadliest years this century.
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