In the early hours of Monday morning, Philadelphia reporter Josh Kruger was fatally shot at his home on Watkins Street, in the 2300 block. This tragic incident occurred shortly after Kruger had received an ominous threat.
Kruger, 39, was shot in the chest and abdomen seven times and was pronounced dead at the hospital just after 2 am.
Kruger was killed two weeks following a threat from an individual who goes by the name “Lady Diabla, the She-Devil of the Streets.”
According to The Philadelphia Inquirer, Kruger said that someone threw a rock through his home window in August. Then, about two weeks ago, he wrote on Facebook that someone came to his house searching for their boyfriend — a man Kruger said he had never met before. The person called themselves “Lady Diabla, the She-Devil of the Streets” and threatened him.
Per reports, Kruger was a gay man who advocated for LGBTQ rights, as well as for the welfare of homeless people and drug addicts.
In the hours leading up to his murder, Kruger mocked the conservative creator of Dilbert, Scott Adams, who warned about rising violence in Democrat-led cities in America.
This communist journo mocked conservatives on social media who warned about violence —yesterday.
— Emerald Robinson ✝️ (@EmeraldRobinson) October 2, 2023
Today, he’s dead. Shot 7 times by an intruder in his home. https://t.co/KAjkhUgsIv
Eerie indeed.
Two days later, Kruger was shot dead in his Philadelphia home.
Kruger often ridiculed people for being concerned about increasing violence.
Breaking: Leftist journalist and activist Josh Kruger @JoshKrugerPHL has been tragically shot dead at his Philadelphia home. Kruger has long downplayed gun violence in his city and publicly chastised others who spoke about it. pic.twitter.com/pcl5c4Z1Y8
— Andy Ngô 🏳️🌈 (@MrAndyNgo) October 2, 2023
Philly journalist Josh Kruger mocked the idea of using a gun to protect his home. He was killed in his home yesterday. pic.twitter.com/x9DBd4pWpM
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) October 3, 2023
From CNN:
Philadelphia journalist and advocate Josh Kruger was shot and killed at his home early Monday morning, according to police.
No weapons were recovered and there have been no arrests, a statement from police says.
Kruger, 39, was shot seven times in the chest and abdomen at his Point Breeze home at around 1:28 a.m., police said. He was pronounced dead at the hospital.
Most recently, Kruger had worked as a journalist covering issues like LGBTQ+ rights, homelessness, HIV and addiction in publications like The Philadelphia Citizen and The Philadelphia Inquirer. One of his most recent stories was a tribute to JoAnne Epps, the president of Temple University, who died in September.
“We are shocked and saddened by Josh’s death,” said Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney in a statement provided to CNN.
“Josh cared deeply about our city and its residents, which was evident both in his public service and in his writing,” said the mayor. “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.”
His work built on his own personal experiences living with HIV and experiencing homelessness, according to his LinkedIn profile. In his profile, he described himself as a “destroyer of stigma and bureaucratic silos” and a “believer in the common good.” He also used social media as a platform to write about his own experience surviving addiction and continuing to work with people dealing with addiction in Philadelphia.
