Progressive campaign worker fatally shot by fellow canvasser while handing out election flyers — for candidates running on ending gun violence

A campaign worker was fatally shot by a fellow canvasser while the two were handing out election flyers for progressive candidates running on ending gun violence in Pennsylvania this week, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported.

Eddie Brokenbough, a 46-year-old Philadelphia resident, was allegedly shot and killed by an unidentified 22-year-old around 4 p.m. in East Germantown, police reported.

Despite being rushed to a nearby Einstein Medical Center, Brokenbough died 15 minutes after the shooting.

According to police, both of the canvassers involved in the altercation were in possession of a firearm. However, Staff Inspector Ernest Ransom stated that the victim's gun was not registered to him.

The New York Post reported that Brokenbough was prohibited from legally carrying a firearm because of a prior incident in which he was convicted of shooting a man in the arm in 2012.

Chief Inspector Scott Small stated that the 22-year-old alleged shooter was in legal possession of his firearm and remained at the scene to be questioned by authorities.

Ransom explained that it is unclear what caused the altercation, but the two men "had always had a beef." Authorities stated that the two "happened upon each other," and then an argument ensued.

Ransom reported that the unidentified alleged shooter was acting in self-defense, stating that Brokenbough brandished his weapon first.

At the time of the fatal incident, the two men were handing out campaign flyers for One PA, a progressive political group that is canvassing on behalf of several Democratic candidates running on the promise of ending the city's rampant gun violence problem, including mayoral candidate Helen Gym and council candidates Seth Oberman-Anderson, Rue Landau, Amanda McIllmurray, Isaiah Thomas, and Erika Almirón.

Gym, who has been referred to as "Philly's AOC," declared that one of her top priorities is to "reduce violence" and "get illegal guns off our streets."

In a statement released on Gym's Twitter, she said, "I was devastated to hear about the tragic death of a canvasser today. My thoughts are with the family of the victim, the One PA community, and everyone impacted by this irrevocable loss. Though the canvasser was not part of our campaign, this loss is deeply felt by all of us."

One PA Executive Director Steve Paul offered condolences to the victim's family on behalf of the political group.

"Today, a OnePA team member tragically lost their life," Paul said. "We are mourning this senseless loss and continuing to gather the facts and investigate what happened."

One PA has suspended its door-knocking campaign as authorities continue their investigation.

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