‘My family and I woke up to bangs on the door from the Pennsylvania State Police,’ the governor said.
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said the governor’s mansion was set on fire in what police said was an “act of arson,” prompting the governor and his family to evacuate.
“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,” Shapiro said in a statement on social media on Sunday.
The governor said that fire officials in Harrisburg arrived on the scene to put out the fire, but that he and his family were evacuated by Pennsylvania State Police officials.
“Thank God no one was injured and the fire was extinguished,” Shapiro said. “Every day, we stand with the law enforcement and first responders who run towards danger to protect our communities.”
Shapiro did not provide further details about the incident but said that he and his wife “are eternally grateful” to police for keeping them safe.
The governor and his wife have four children together—Sophia, Jonah, Max, and Reuben. It’s unclear how many children were there at the time.
Before the incident, the Democrat, who is Jewish, posted on social media that he and his family were celebrating Passover.
“From the Shapiro family’s Seder table to yours, happy Passover and Chag Pesach Sameach!” he said on social media platform X Sunday evening.
“While the fire was successfully extinguished, it caused a significant amount of damage to a portion of the residence,” Pennsylvania State Police said in a statement. “While the investigation is ongoing, the State Police is prepared to say at this time that this was an act of arson.”
Shapiro and his family were in another part of the mansion at the time of the fire, state police added. There were no injuries.
Police did not provide any other details about the alleged arson, including whether a suspect was identified or arrested. Police officials also did not cite any potential motive.
“No additional information will be released at this time,” authorities said in their statement. “However, this is a fast-moving investigation, and details will be provided as appropriate.”
