The New York Times reported that Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and his family were awakened at 2:00 a.m. on Sunday by State Police officers banging on their door. Their home in Harrisburg was on fire. The family was safely evacuated as firefighters worked to extinguish the blaze.
According to the report, the incident was described as “an arson attack that significantly damaged a section of the governor’s residence.”
In a Facebook post on Sunday morning, Shapiro wrote:
Last night at about 2AM, my family and I woke up to bangs on the door from the Pennsylvania State Police after an arsonist set fire to the Governor’s Residence in Harrisburg.The Harrisburg Bureau of Fire was on the scene and while they worked to put out the fire, we were evacuated from the Residence safely by Pennsylvania State Police and assisted by Capitol Police. Thank God no one was injured and the fire was extinguished.Every day, we stand with the law enforcement and first responders who run towards danger to protect our communities. Last night, they did so for our family – and Lori and I are eternally grateful to them for keeping us safe.PA State Police is on the scene leading this investigation and will keep the public updated.
According to a statement from the State Police, “While the investigation is ongoing, the State Police is prepared to say at this time that this was an act of arson.”
The Pennsylvania State Police, Troop H is currently on scene and spearheading a multi-agency investigation.There is a reward of up to $10,000 offered through PSP Tips for the arrest and conviction for the individual(s) responsible. Anyone with information should call 1-800-4PA TIPS (1-800-472-8477).No additional information will be released at this time. However, this is a fast-moving investigation, and details will be provided as appropriate.
The previous evening, Gov. Shapiro, a Democrat, had shared a Passover greeting on social media, accompanied by a photo of his family’s Seder table. It remains unclear whether there is any connection between the post and the subsequent arson attack.
The Times describes the residence as “a 29,000-square-foot Georgian-style home on the Susquehanna River.”
It was completed in 1968 and eight governors have lived there with their families.The public is able to tour the residence, which exhibits art and artifacts on the first floor.
The popular governor took office in January 2023, following his tenure as Pennsylvania’s attorney general. Widely expected to be selected as former Vice President Kamala Harris’s running mate last August, he was inexplicably—and, many would argue, unwisely—passed over in favor of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.
Updates will be provided as they become available.
UPDATE: April 13, 8:45 p.m.
At a Sunday evening press conference, police announced that a suspect had been taken in custody.
Fox News reported:
Cody Balmer, 38, will be charged with attempted murder, terrorism, aggravated arson and aggravated assault against an enumerated person, according to officials.The suspect also made “homemade incendiary devices,” according to Bivens.”He actively evaded troopers who were here to secure the residence,” the official explained. “While [police] were searching is when he attacked at the residence, [and] broke in and set the fires.””So that was all playing out over a period of several minutes. It was a very quick event that occurred, and, and again, troopers were actively searching for him at the time,” Bivens added.
Elizabeth writes commentary for Legal Insurrection and The Washington Examiner. She is an academy fellow at The Heritage Foundation. Please follow Elizabeth on X or LinkedIn.
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