(Reuters) – A man was taken into custody on Sunday for allegedly starting a fire outside the office of Senator Bernie Sanders in Burlington, Vermont, as reported by the U.S. attorney’s office for the state.
Shant Soghomonian, 35, gained access to the building in downtown Burlington last Friday and made his way to Sanders’ office on the third floor. Surveillance footage captured him spraying a liquid near the door and igniting it, according to the U.S. attorney’s office.
The sprinklers activated on multiple floors as Soghomonian made his exit through a staircase. Although there were individuals present in the office, no one sustained injuries. However, the fire caused damage to the door and its surrounding areas, the U.S. attorney’s office disclosed.
Whether Soghomonian has legal representation at this time is unclear, and efforts to reach him for a statement have been unsuccessful.
Sanders, a veteran independent member of the U.S. Senate from Vermont, campaigned for the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination in both 2016 and 2020, though he was unsuccessful.
(Reporting by Jonathan Allen in New York; Editing by Mark Porter)
