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Pennsylvania Governor’s Mansion Burned on Passover …
Josh Shapiro, Family Safely Evacuated
Published April 13, 2025 5:23 PM PDT
Governor Josh Shapiro and his family were safely evacuated from their residence in Pennsylvania after an alarming incident occurred following their Passover celebrations. A man has been apprehended, suspected of deliberately setting fire to the mansion.
Cody Balmer, a 38-year-old resident of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, was detained after he allegedly jumped over a fence to gain access to the property and then ignited a fire within the residence.
Images capturing the aftermath show severe damage within a significant gathering area of the mansion, with extensive charring visible and debris scattered across the floor. Remarkably, only a single stack of plates on a table appeared untouched amid the destruction.
The windows of the mansion were shattered, although it remains uncertain whether this resulted from the fire itself or the actions of the intruder breaking through them.
Authorities contend that Balmer arrived armed with a makeshift incendiary device, suggesting that the act was premeditated.
Governor Shapiro recounted how state troopers alerted him around 2 AM on Sunday, leading to the swift evacuation of himself, his wife, their four children, and two family pets, alongside another family who had shared in the Passover observance with them the previous night.
Dauphin County District Attorney Francis Chardo has indicated that Balmer is likely to be charged with multiple serious offenses, including attempted murder, terrorism, attempted arson, and aggravated assault, although those charges have yet to be formally filed.
The motives behind the fire remain uncertain, but Governor Shapiro has suggested that it may have stemmed from his Jewish heritage. He remarked, “When we were in the state dining room last night, we told the story of Passover. I refuse to be trapped by the bondage that someone attempted to put on me by attacking us as they did last night.”
The site of the fire was the very room where their Passover festivities took place.
“Last night at the Governor’s Residence, we experienced an attack not just on our family, but on the entire Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. This kind of violence has become far too common in our society, and it has to stop.” pic.twitter.com/5HP5JSvgfc
— Governor Josh Shapiro (@GovernorShapiro) April 13, 2025
Shapiro also condemned the escalating trend of political violence during a statement made outside the residence, emphasizing that such actions are unacceptable regardless of the political affiliations of those responsible.
Source
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