US governor evacuated from official residence after suspected arson attack
Josh Shapiro was evacuated from his home on Sunday after it was set on fire by a suspected arsonist.
Pennsylvania state police confirmed that the fire, which happened at around 2am local time at Mr Shapiro 's official residence, was deliberate and caused 'significant damage to a portion of the residence'.
The governor and his family were in a different part of the building when the fire broke out and were safely evacuated.
'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 Pennsylvania governor said in a statement.
'Thank God no one was injured and the fire was extinguished,' Mr Shapiro said.
The attack happened hours after he shared a photo on social media of him and his family about to celebrate the first night of Passover.
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
'From the Shapiro family's Seder table to yours, happy Passover and Chag Pesach Sameach,' the post said.
A spokesman for Pennsylvania state police Lt Jane Smith described the fire as 'clearly an act of arson'.
Pennsylvania state police troop H is leading a multi-agency investigation into the attack.
State officials have not announced where the governor and his family will live while repairs are being made to the damaged part of the house.
He added: 'Every day, we stand with the law enforcement and first responders who run towards danger to protect our communities.
'Last night, they did so for our family – and Lori and I are eternally grateful to them for keeping us safe.'
A reward of up to $10,000 (£7,600) is being offered by the authorities for information leading to the arrest of those responsible.
Mr Shapiro, 52, has served as Pennsylvania's 48th governor since January 2023.
A Democrat, he previously served as the state's attorney general from 2017 to 2023 and was a member of the Montgomery county board of commissioners from 2012 to 2017.
As attorney general, Mr Shapiro gained national attention for his office's investigation into child sexual abuse in the Catholic Church across Pennsylvania, which revealed widespread abuse and institutional cover-ups.
In the 2022 gubernatorial election, Mr Shapiro defeated Republican Doug Mastriano by a substantial margin after running unopposed in the Democratic primary.
Mr Shapiro was also shortlisted as a potential running mate for Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election before the Democrat candidate chose Tim Walz.
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