The governor of Pennsylvania, Josh Shapiro, reported the fire attack in his house, which occurred after a celebration of Easter last weekend, in an exclusive interview with George Stephanopoulos of ABC News on Friday.
Cody Balmer, 38, was arrested after allegedly setting fire to the residence while Shapiro and his family slept inside. Shapiro, who is Jewish, said he and his family were forced to evacuate their home after celebrating the first Easter night.
Shapiro gave Stephanopoulos a tour of the residence after the attack and detailed how the attacker supposedly evaded security and was able to launch a Molotov cocktail through a window of the house.
Potential presidential rivals 2028 come together behind Shapiro after a fire caused in the governor’s mansion
The governor was showing Stephanopoulos, where the intruder was supposed to obtain access to property.
“He climbed the fence somewhere here,” Shapiro said while standing in front of the fence.
Governor Shapiro and his family were forced to evacuate his home after a Molotov cocktail lit the house. (Getty/Commonwealth Media Services)
He said the intruder “had a bag that contained some Molotov cocktails and had a type of metal hammer,” and hid in the bushes near the fence before possible to stumble with the house safety sensors.
Shapiro said the security sensor led a state soldier of Pennsylvania to get home, but according to the governor, “he was dark and the soldier could not detect it.”
After evading the soldier, Shapiro said the suspect could cross a Walway backyard, broke a window with a hammer and threw a Molotov cocktail into the house.
“That immediately triggered a fire and an explosion,” said the governor.
Mansion of the Governor of Pennsylvania, the suspect of the fire, Cody Balmer, was released on bail at the time of the fire pump
Shapiro then brought Stephanopoulos inside and emotionally described the celebration of the family of the family that took place shortly before the attack.
“Only a few hours before, Lori and I were probably sitting here, at a long table, making our Easter Seder,” Shapiro said. “Three of our four children were here, the other was in college.”
The governor was excited while describing the celebration of Easter he was enjoying with his family and friends before the attack. (Commonwealth Media Services/Brochures through Reuters)
He continued: “I’m getting emotional just to think about it: we had our family, we had guests from the community of all Pennsylvania. It was a really beautiful night.”
The governor said that his family and guests were celebrating until midnight, before the family went to bed around 1 in the morning, the attack took place about an hour later around 2 in the morning.
Shapiro and Stephanopoulos began their part of the interview in one of the burned rooms of the house.
“He was here around 3 in the morning with the fire chief, when he became an immediate team for me, this was an accidental fire, a candle that left or something,” Shapiro Tod, the host of ABC.
Josh Shapiro drowns while offering a press conference after
Stephanopoulos asked Shapiro if he believes that this attack was a hate crime.
“I think that is a question for prosecutors to determine. They will determine the reason,” he told Stephanopoulos.
The host of ABC then asked Shapiro: “What does your instinct tell you? This man was talking about Gaza, speaking of Palestine, speaking of his hatred for you.”
The governor replied that he acknowledges “when you are in these positions of power, there are people out there who want to harm you,” but try not to be “capopia to fear.”
Cody Balmer, the man accused of setting fire to the governor’s mansion, told the authorities that he allegedly attacked Shapiro, who is Jewish, because or “what he wants to do to the Palestinian people.” (WTXF)
Stephanopoulos argued that while Shapiro hypnizes is not due to the fact that it is not “capopia for fear”, that national security has been noticing about the emergence of these children of attacks for years.
“It’s real,” Shapiro replied. “I mean, this is unfortunately a real part of our society today, and it must be universally condemned, George. I do not understand that I come from the left, from the right. I do not care if some come for those who voted, or you give Vidnnnnnnnn.
Later, Shapiro was asked if President Donald Trump, or anyone in his administration, had communicated with him after the attack.
‘Hate and horrible’: The fire of the mansion of the governor of Shapiro causes a protest of legislators
The governor told Stephanopoulos that, although Trump had not yet communicated, the director of the FBI, Kash Patel, “immediately” after the attack that day, as well as the attorney general Pam Bondi.
When asked why he believed that Ag Bondi had not yet labeled this attack as an “act of domestic terrorism,” and if he personally believed it was, Shapiro replied: “I think that is a question for prosecutors, both the local lawyer.” “
Shapiro told Stephanopoulos that President Trump has not yet contacted him regarding the attack. (Donald Trump 2024 campaign)
Stephanopoulos questioned why the governor did not want to answer, believed that the attack was a hate crime, considering figures as Sen. Chuck Schumer, DN.Y., had asked the Attorney General to label the attack as such.
“I am not sure that it is useful for people abroad to weigh with their opinions here, George. It doesn’t matter who they are,” Shapiro replied. “You have asked me a couple of times why I have given you the type of answer you are looking for. I want to explain why.”
Click here to get more media and culture coverage
The governor continued: “I know, as a former prosecutor, how important it is to follow the evidence and apply the law, and do it without favor. In this case, I am the victim of the crime; I am not the prosmine. He prosminates it and the Alle Alle Alle Alle Alle Alle Alle Alle Allce or the Prosmecutorsce. Think that I can see me to that, because I do not get to the fullest my work.”
The governor of Pennsylvania said that it is not his “work” to assume what was the reason for the alleged attacker to bomb his home, and that he will leave him to the prosecutors who handle the case. (Images Gilbert Carrasquillo/GC)
Stephanopoulos then asked Shapiro what can be done to “combat this type of hatred”, talking about the increase in anti -Semitism throughout the country.
“When speaking and acting with moral clarity, let me explain,” Shapiro said. “Immediately after the attempted murder against the former president, now president, in Butler, Pennsylvania, I condemned that in the strongest terms. I spoke with the victims, I went to Butler. When the Assassin Cassug in Altone in Altone, I killed the United States that killed use.
Click here to get the Fox News application
Shapiro said that it feels that it is important to “lead every day in a way that brings together people and not only divides us continuously”, even when the country is not dealing with a traumatic event such as what happened in Butler or in the governor’s house last weekend.
Deidre Heavey of Fox News contributed to this report.