Suspect arrested for setting fire to Bernie Sanders’ Vermont office
A man has been arrested for setting fire to the Vermont office of United States senator and former Democrat presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders, though a motive remains unclear.
Shant Soghomonian, a 35-year-old former resident of Northridge, California, was arrested Sunday and charged with "using fire to damage" the Burlington building where Sanders has an office.
According to a press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Vermont, Soghomonian allegedly entered the building on Friday and went to the third floor, where Sanders’ office was located.
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From there, security footage reportedly showed Soghomonian spraying a liquid accelerant near the entrance door of the office and then lighting it, with the fire damaging the office door and surrounding area before the building's sprinklers switched on in response to the fire.
“The Senator’s office was occupied by multiple employees who were not physically injured during the incident. It is not known how many other occupants were in the building, but no injuries were reported,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office noted.
“U.S. Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the joint investigatory efforts of the Burlington Police Department; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the Shelburne Police Department; the Williston Police Department; the Vermont State Police; and the U.S. Capitol Police.”
If Soghomonian is found guilty of arson, he could face a penalty of as much as 20 years in prison, as well as a fine of as much as $250,000.
Sanders wasn't present when the crime was committed, according to The Associated Press.
A political independent, Sanders was a candidate who tried and failed to win the Democrat Party presidential nomination during the 2016 and 2020 election cycles, respectively.
Last Friday, the Burlington Police Department released a statement explaining that authorities had responded to a fire at 1 Church Street, not far from city hall.
“Investigation revealed that an unknown male subject entered the vestibule of the Office of United States Senator Bernard Sanders. The male sprayed an apparent accelerant on the entrance door to Senator Sanders’s offices. He then lit the accelerant and fled,” reported Burlington authorities.
“Along with the fire damage to Senator Sanders’ door and vestibule, water from the sprinkler systems caused significant damage to that space and other areas of the building.”
In May of last year, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security released a National Terrorism Advisory System Bulletin warning that the 2024 election cycle has created “a heightened threat environment” in which “targets of potential violence include U.S. critical infrastructure, faith-based institutions, individuals or events associated with the LGBTQIA+ community, schools, racial and ethnic minorities, and government facilities and personnel, including law enforcement.”
