Pennsylvania governor’s residence targeted in arson attack after Passover Seder
Josh Shapiro and family safely evacuated after being woken up at 2 a.m. by cops; law enforcement offers $10,000 reward for info; he had tweeted Passover good wishes hours earlier
HARRISBURG, Pennsylvania — Police said Sunday that officers evacuated Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro and his family from the official governor’s residence after someone set fire to the building.
No one was injured and the fire was extinguished, according to authorities.
The fire broke out overnight on the first night of the Jewish holiday of Passover, which Shapiro and his family, who are Jewish, had celebrated at the governor’s official residence in the state capital of Harrisburg.
Pennsylvania State Police said in a statement that, while the investigation was ongoing, they were “prepared to say at this time that this was an act of arson.”
Police gave no other details about the cause.
In a statement, Shapiro, viewed as a potential White House contender for the Democratic Party in 2028, said he and his family woke up at about 2 a.m. to bangs on the door from the Pennsylvania State Police after the fire broke out.
The Harrisburg Bureau of Fire was called to the residence, and while they worked to put out the fire, police evacuated Shapiro and his family from the residence safely, Shapiro said.
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…
— Governor Josh Shapiro (@GovernorShapiro) April 13, 2025
“Thank God no one was injured and the fire was extinguished,” Shapiro said in a statement.
Shapiro had posted a tweet hours earlier with a picture of his family’s Seder table and festive good wishes.
From the Shapiro family's Seder table to yours, happy Passover and Chag Pesach Sameach! pic.twitter.com/2II1Id1W23
— Governor Josh Shapiro (@GovernorShapiro) April 12, 2025
State police are leading the investigation. The agency offered a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to an arrest and conviction.
The 51-year-old Shapiro was a favorite to be Democrat Kamala Harris’s running mate in her ultimately unsuccessful US presidential bid — a position that instead went to Minnesota Governor Tim Walz.
Shapiro, an assertive political centrist, was elected governor of Pennsylvania in 2022 when he faced off against a far-right candidate backed by US President Donald Trump.
He has been a strong supporter of Israel and publicly proud of his Jewish identity.
The Times of Israel Staff contributed to this report.
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