Pennsylvania police investigate fire as arson at the governor’s home

Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro and his family evacuated overnight from the official governor’s residence after someone opened fire on the building, police said Sunday.

Authorities said no one was injured and the fire was put out.

The fire broke out overnight on the first night of the Jewish Passover, and Shapiro and his family celebrated the fire at the Governor Harrisburg’s official residence. Pennsylvania police said in a statement that when the investigation was conducted, they were “prepared to say it was an act of arson.”

State police did not provide additional details about the cause of the fire in the riverside mansion, but said it caused “severe damage” to a part of the home. Police said Shapiro and his family had been in another part of the residence.

Shapiro, who was seen as a potential contender for the Democratic Party in 2028, said he and his family woke up around 2 a.m. local time and Pennsylvania police exploded at the door after the fire broke out.

Shapiro said the Harrisburg Fire was summoned to the residence and police evacuated Shapiro and his family safely from the residence as they worked to put out the fire.

“Thank God no one was hurt, the fire was put out,” Shapiro said in a statement.

Fire was visible on the south side of the residence on Sunday, mainly in a large room often used for entertainment crowds and art displays. On Sunday afternoon, when yellow tape blocked an alley, an officer led a dog outside the iron security fence, police were still present.

Shapiro, who had allocated his time between mansions since the Governor’s construction in the 1960s, built his house in Abington, about 161 kilometers east. He posted a photo on social media Saturday and a photo on Passover Sed table at his residence on Saturday.

State police are leading the investigation. The agency offers up to $10,000 in rewards for information leading to arrest and conviction.