The attack occurred over Passover, which Shapiro was observing by having the traditional Seder meal the night before.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) has called on the Justice Department to investigate the arson attack against Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro.
In an April 17 letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi, Schumer said that the attack was a federal hate crime.
“Given the deeply troubling allegations that the suspect targeted Gov. Shapiro based in part on his religious identity, the April 13 incident warrants immediate and serious federal scrutiny,” he wrote.
The attack occurred over Passover, which Shapiro was observing by having the traditional Jewish Seder meal the night before.
“Our federal authorities must bring the full weight of our civil-rights laws to bear in examining this matter,” Schumer wrote.
“No person or public official should be targeted because of their faith, and no community should wonder whether such acts will be met with silence.”
The suspect, Cody Balmer, 38, turned himself in to police and has been charged with terrorism, burglary, aggravated arson, and attempted murder.
He has been denied bail.
“While the Shapiro family slept inside, the suspect allegedly set their home ablaze, causing extensive damage and leaving lasting anguish not only for the victims, but for Americans across the country,” Schumer wrote.
The Justice Department confirmed it has received Schumer’s letter.
Balmer, according to law enforcement, was against Shapiro’s pro-Israel stance amid the war between the Jewish state and Hamas.
He said he would have assaulted Shapiro with a hammer had he encountered the governor, according to search warrants.
“These statements—in conjunction with the timing of the attack during Passover, Gov. Shapiro’s visible embrace of his Jewish faith, and the context of rising anti-Semitism globally and across the country—raise serious concerns about antisemitic motivation,” Schumer wrote.
Dauphin County District Attorney Fran Chardo said that Shapiro’s Jewish identity was a factor in the attack.
“We do have evidence of that, that I believe is of record, that he made reference to the governor’s faith,” he told CBS News Philadelphia.
Bondi said that federal authorities are assisting Pennsylvania authorities in their investigation.
