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Josh Shapiro, the governor of Pennsylvania, and his family were the victims of an arson attack over the weekend. An arsonist set the politician’s residence on fire, and Shapiro, 51, awoke to the emergency in the middle of the night on Sunday, April 13.
Pennsylvania state police explained in a statement, “While the fire was successfully extinguished, it caused a significant amount of damage to a portion of the residence.”
Below, find out what happened to Shapiro and who set his house on fire.
What Happened to Governor Shapiro?
Shapiro’s home was set on fire in the early morning hours on April 13. Police were able to evacuate the governor and his family from the residence as the fire engulfed a portion of the structure in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
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
Is Josh Shapiro OK?
Yes, Shapiro and his family are all OK and were successfully evacuated in time, he explained in a tweet.
“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,” Shapiro tweeted on April 13. “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.”
Shapiro added that “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,” the governor wrote, adding, “Last night, they did so for our family – and Lori [Shapiro] and I are eternally grateful to them for keeping us safe.”
The state police elaborated in their own statement, noting that the governor and his family “were present in a different part of the residence” away from where the fire was and they “were evacuated safely and were not injured.”
Who Set Josh Shapiro’s Home on Fire?
Law enforcement has not identified who started the fire on Shapiro’s home yet. However, a suspect named Cody Balmer from Harrisburg, was arrested on April 13. During a press conference that day, Dauphin County District Attorney Francis Chardo said they were about to charge Balmer, 38.
“This is not of record yet, but the charges will include attempted murder, terrorism, aggravated arson, and aggravated assault against an enumerated person,” Chardo said, before noting, “These are all very serious charges. As with any charges, the defendant is presumed innocent.”
