A man has been arrested on suspicion of terrorism and attempted murder after Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro’s mansion was torched overnight while he and his family slept inside.
Harrisburg local Cody Balmer, 38, was arrested on Sunday and is expected to face charges of attempted murder, terrorism and aggravated arson, authorities said.
Fire crews were dispatched to the Democrat‘s home in Harrisburg around 2am Sunday, Harrisburg Fire Chief Brian Enterline said.
Everyone inside the home was in a separate part of the residence when the flames broke out and were able to evacuate safely.
A significant portion of the estate was damaged from the fire, which broke out just hours after Shapiro posted a picture of his family celebrating Passover on Saturday.
The investigation into the terrifying blaze remains ongoing, but authorities have confirmed it was caused by an act of arson.
It is unclear if this was an act of hate targeting Shapiro over his politics or religion.
Shapiro, who shares four children with his wife Lori, shared a post to X about the startling incident.
‘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.
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro’s mansion (pictured) was torched by an arsonist overnight
Shapiro, his wife Lori and their four children (pictured) were in the home at the time of the blaze
A significant portion of the estate was damaged from the fire, which broke out just hours after Shapiro posted a picture of his family celebrating Passover on Saturday
‘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.’
Photos showed damage caused to the mansion as thick plumes of black smoke were seen flowing out of the home.
The fire also left portions of the home charred from the flames as firefighters were seen trying to calm the blaze.
Shapiro and his wife share four children together – Sophia, Jonah, Max and Reuben.
Sophie and Jonah are legal adults, while Max and Reuben are minors. It is unclear if the two eldest were in the home at the time of the blaze.
The investigation into the terrifying blaze remains ongoing, but authorities have confirmed it was caused by an act of arson
Shapiro (pictured in February) has served as the Governor of Pennsylvania since 2023
Just before the fire started, Shapiro, who is Jewish, offered Passover wishes on X, saying: ‘From the Shapiro family’s Seder table to yours, happy Passover and Chag Pesach Sameach!’
The 29,000 square-foot mansion was built in 1968 and has served as the residence to eight governors and their families prior to Shapiro.
The property has flooded several times in the past, including during Hurricane Agnes in 1972 when then-Governor Milton Shapp resided there with his wife Muriel.
It then underwent ‘extensive repairs’ before flooding again in 2011 during Tropical Storm Lee.
Shapiro has served as the Governor of Pennsylvania since 2023. He previously worked as the attorney general for the Keystone State from 2017-2023.
He is viewed as a possible contender for the 2028 presidential race.
Many had hoped he would have been Kamala Harris’ running mate in the previous election.
This article was originally published by a www.dailymail.co.uk . Read the Original article here. .