Philadelphia journalist shot dead inside home at age 39

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Philadelphia-based journalist Josh Kruger is dead at age 39 after being shot inside his home. 

Kruger, a prominent supporter of the LGBTQ community, was a journalist and former Philadelphia Office of Homeless Services spokesperson who wrote for a variety of outlets including The Philadelphia Inquirer, the Philadelphia Citizen and LGBTQ Nation. 

Philadelphia Police told Fox News Digital that it was a homicide, but no arrests have been made as of Monday morning. 

Police responded to reports of gunshots inside Kruger’s apartment and found that he was shot seven times through the chest and abdomen. Kruger was rushed to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center but pronounced dead shortly after arriving.

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Josh Kruger is seen in this undated selfie. The 39-year-old journalist was  fatally shot inside his home in the Point Breeze neighborhood in Philadelphia, PA on October 2, 2023. Kruger, 39, previously worked for the city and wrote about issues affecting some of Philly’s most vulnerable residents for outlets including The Inquirer. (Handout)

There were no signs of forced entry. 

Deputy Police Commissioner Frank Vanore said, "Either the door was open, or the offender knew how to get the door open," according to the Philadelphia Inquirer. Kruger had previously mentioned being threatened inside his home, the paper added. 

The well-known Philadelphia reporter used "his unique combination of lived experience with homelessness, addiction, HIV, poverty, and trauma together with over a decade of professional experience in media, politics, and government for compelling storytelling and unparalleled insight into the news," according to his website. 

"Josh cared deeply about our city and its residents, which was evident both in his public service and in his writing," Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney said in a statement, according to the Inquirer. "His intelligence, creativity, passion, and wit shone bright in everything that he did — and his light was dimmed much too soon."

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Philadelphia Police told Fox News Digital that it was a homicide, but no arrests have been made as of Monday morning.  (iStock)

According to his website, Kruger’s writing championed progressive causes and ran "the gamut from long-form journalism providing incisive analysis of high profile politicians to advocacy- and solutions-based commentary to humorous personal reflections to daily news reporting for one of the largest metro areas and media markets in the United States."

The self-proclaimed "cat person" won multiple awards over the course of his career, including honors from the Society of Professional Journalists, the Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association, and the Association of Alternative Newsmedia. 

Kruger was an avid bicyclist who lived with his "best friend," a one-toothed cat named Mason.

Many took to social media to pay respects to Kruger: 

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