Jewish governor saved from arson attack on Passover

“Last night at about 2 a.m., 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 wrote on his official X account.

By Lauren Marcus, World Israel News

Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro‘s home was targeted by an arsonist on the first night of Passover.

Shapiro and his family were evacuated by police in the early hours of Sunday morning as their home burned. The Shapiros were not injured.

Hours before the attack on Saturday evening, Shapiro posted a photo of his family’s Passover Seder table, writing “Chag Pesach Sameach [Happy Passover]!”

The suspect – identified by American media outlets as Cody Balmer, 28 – broke into the Shapiro residence after midnight on Sunday and set off an incendiary device, which sparked a large fire.

The fire caused significant damage to a part of the home, but did not reach the area where the Shapiros were sleeping.

“Last night at about 2 a.m., 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 wrote on his official X account.

“Thank God no one was injured and the fire was extinguished.”

Shapiro added that he and his wife Lori are “eternally grateful” to the firefighters and first responders who kept his family safe.

Balmer, who was arrested later on Sunday, is expected to be charged with terrorism, attempted murder, and arson.

Shapiro, a centrist Democrat, was touted as a potential vice-presidential pick for Kamala Harris during her 2024 presidential run against Donald Trump.

Because Shapiro supports Israel, he was attacked by far-left elements within the Democratic Party.

A website created by activists, which dubbed Shapiro “Genocide Josh,” threatened that progressive voters would boycott the election should Harris choose Shapiro as her running mate.

“Every potential nominee for Vice President is pro-Israel. Yet only one, Josh Shapiro, has been singled out by a far-left smear campaign calling him ‘Genocide Josh.’ The reason he is treated differently from the rest? Antisemitism,” Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY) told Jewish Insider in July 2024.

“The antisemitic far left must never be given veto power over the selection of a presidential running mate,” Torres added.