“Eternally grateful”: Shapiro safe after suspected arson at Pennsylvania governor’s mansion

Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro and his family are safe after an alleged act of arson at the governor’s mansion over the weekend. 

Shapiro shared in a statement that he was awakened early on Sunday by Pennsylvania State Police, who informed the governor and high-profile Democrat that a fire had been set at the residence.

“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,” he wrote. “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.”

Shapiro said he was “eternally grateful” to the first responders who helped keep his family safe. The governor, who is Jewish, appeared to be celebrating the first night of Passover at the residence. He shared a photo of his Seder table to social media on Saturday evening with the message “Happy Passover and Chag Pesach Sameach!”

The Pennsylvania State Police confirmed in a statement that they are investigating the fire as “an act of arson.”

“While the fire was successfully extinguished, it caused a significant amount of damage to a portion of the residence,” they shared. “The Governor and his family were present in a different part of the residence. They were evacuated safely and were not injured.”