HARRISBURG, Pa. (KYW Newsradio) — Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and his family made a lunchtime visit to Harrisburg Fire Station 1 on Thursday to serve a meal to the first responders who rescued them from an arson attack on the governor’s mansion on Sunday.
“We are so grateful to everyone who got our entire family out safely,” Shapiro said in a press conference before serving lunch.
Before meeting at the fire station, the governor and First Lady Lori Shapiro toured the damaged governor’s mansion, where a partially melted chandelier stood out to Shapiro.
"It was resting on a place on the floor where just the night before we had celebrated our Passover seder," he said.
The family was evacuated in the early morning of April 13, just hours after celebrating the first night of Passover. Cody Balmer, 38, was arrested later that day for committing the arson, lighting several molotov cocktails in the residence after hopping a fence and gaining access to the mansion. He then successfully escaped after setting the blazes.
Investigators are still looking into how Balmer evaded state police guarding the residence.
Shapiro was asked about the ongoing investigation and whether or not Balmer should face anti-semitic hate crime charges.
"I have total and complete confidence in District Attorney Fran Chardo to charge this case as he sees fit, to analyze the evidence, to apply the law and to see the case through,” said the governor. “I'm not going to weigh in on what those charges should be. I'm not going to question his judgment."
A search warrant released on Wednesday said Balmer targeted the governor for his views on Palestine.
Shapiro also said he would respect the decision of the justice department to bring charges if it decides to do that.