Schumer Wants DOJ To Consider Hate Crime Charges in Passover Arson Targeting Pennsylvania’s Jewish Governor

Senator Schumer wants the Department of Justice to investigate whether the suspect in the arson attack on Pennsylvania governor’s mansion should face federal hate crime charges in addition to the attempted murder and other charges he already faces.In a letter to Attorney General Bondi Thursday, the Senate Democrat urged the DOJ and the FBI to determine if Mr. Shapiro was targeted in part because of his religious identity. The state-owned home in Harrisburg burned in the early hours of April 13, the first night of Passover.The governor and his family were asleep when the fire was set but all were safely evacuated.“Passover is meant to be a time of family, reflection, and happiness as Jewish families across the globe celebrate our freedom. Instead, it was a brutal reminder of the hatred, brutality, and viciousness that still lives among us — both for the Shapiro family and for the millions of Americans who observed this appalling attack with heartbreak,” Mr. Schumer says. “DOJ must immediately get to the underlying motive of this case and prosecute it to the fullest extent of the law.”Authorities say Cody Balmer, 38, hopped over a fence surrounding the property and forcibly entered the home before setting it on fire. He planned to kill Mr. Shapiro with a hammer because of “what he wants to do to Palestinian people,” according to a warrant from Pennsylvania state police.“We cannot rid society of evil, hatred, or antisemitism without investigating all possible hate crime cases and calling it out immediately, loudly, and justly when substantiated — it’s time for the DOJ to do precisely that,” Mr. Schumer says.Mr. Balmer is currently charged with attempted homicide, terrorism, and aggravated arson. “While the local district attorney has not yet filed hate-crime charges, he acknowledged that Governor Shapiro’s religion appears to have factored into the suspect’s decisions,” Mr. Schumer says. “Our federal authorities must bring the full weight of our civil-rights laws to bear in examining this matter. 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 fire caused a “significant amount of damage” to a portion of the residence, state police said. Mr. Shapiro and his family had been asleep in a different part of the home, they added.Mr. Shapiro and his family served lunch to firefighters in Harrisburg on Thursday to thank them for their response on the night of the fire.“I would be lying if I said it wasn’t jarring, scary to see that in the light of day,” Mr. Shapiro says. “To see the areas where we either make memories privately up in the residence with our kids hanging out laughing, enjoying ourselves or in the more public spaces where we’ve been able to welcome so many people to our home.”He said the experience will make his family stronger and they will have “even more purpose” in what they do.

Schumer Wants DOJ To Consider Hate Crime Charges in Passover Arson Targeting Pennsylvania’s Jewish Governor

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