Pennsylvania governor Josh Shapiro was evacuated from his home in Harrisburg in the early hours of Sunday after an arson attack.
A suspect, identified as 38-year-old local man Cody Balmer, was taken into custody and faces charges of attempted murder and aggravated arson, state police confirmed later in the day.
Mr Shapiro and his family were in a different part of his official residence when the fire broke out at around 2am local time.
The blaze caused “significant damage to a portion of the residence”, police said. Mr Shapior and his family were unharmed.
“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 governor said in a statement.
“Thank God no one was injured and the fire was extinguished,” Mr Shapiro said.
Part of the structure is blackened by the fire at the residence – Sean Simmers/Patriot-News via AP
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.
“From the Shapiro family’s Seder table to yours, happy Passover and Chag Pesach Sameach,” the post said.
Lieutenant Jane Smith, speaking for Pennsylvania state police, 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.
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.”
Josh Shapiro speaks during a press conference outside his home – Getty Images
A reward of up to $10,000 (£7,600) was 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.
Message posted by Josh Shapiro on Instagram describing how he and his family were alerted to the fire
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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