State police authorities in Pennsylvania held a press conference at the governor's residence on Sunday (the 13th) to announce that a 38-year-old man had been detained for allegedly setting fire to Governor Josh Shapiro's residence late at night. He faces multiple serious charges, including attempted murder and aggravated arson.
According to Reuters, state police officials stated that the suspect, Cody Balmer from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, has an unclear motive for the crime. It was reported that Balmer carried a homemade incendiary device over the fence of the residence, evaded the state police, successfully entered the interior of the residence to set fire, and then left. He was arrested shortly before the Sunday press conference.
The incident occurred around 2 a.m., with state police urgently knocking on the bedroom doors of Governor Shapiro and his family, evacuating them in an emergency. Local firefighters subsequently extinguished the fire. No one was injured in the event, but visible scorch marks were observed in some areas of the residence.
Considered a potential Democratic candidate for the 2028 presidential election, Shapiro stated at the press conference that FBI Director Kash Patel had earlier called him, promising to use "all federal government resources" to assist in investigating this attack.
Pam Bondi, U.S. Attorney General, also posted on social media X, expressing "deep relief" regarding the safety of the governor and his family, and praising the swift arrest of Balmer by the police.
A few hours before the arson incident, Shapiro, who is Jewish, had just posted a photo of his family celebrating the Jewish holiday Passover on social media. Shapiro explained that the meaning of Passover is "from slavery to freedom."
At the press conference on Sunday, he emphasized: "I refuse to be constrained by the shackles that the attacker tried to impose on us last night." He vowed to continue serving Pennsylvania fearlessly and added that the family still plans to hold a second Passover dinner on Sunday evening. When asked if this attack might be a hate crime, Shapiro said he would respect the investigation results from federal authorities and the local prosecutor of Pennsylvania.
Colonel Christopher Paris of the Pennsylvania State Police stated that there will be a "multi-faceted review" regarding security measures and the exact timeline of the incident.
Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7493042081846379062/
Disclaimer: This article solely represents the author's personal views. Please express your attitude by clicking the "like/dislike" buttons below.