A Harrisburg man has been charged with attempted homicide after three fires were set in the official residence of Democratic Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro.
Cody Balmer, 38, of Harrisburg, surrendered to Pennsylvania State Police on Sunday afternoon, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.
He told police he had been “harboring a hatred” toward Shapiro, a criminal complaint against him said.
BREAKING: Photos from inside the Pennsylvania Governor Shapiro’s house after police say arsonist set fire to the mansion pic.twitter.com/0BpzZ4xF6I
— Insider Paper (@TheInsiderPaper) April 14, 2025
The suspect is accused of breaking a window and throwing a beer bottle filled with gasoline into one room of the executive mansion at about 2 a.m. Sunday.
The suspect also lit two homemade Molotov cocktails in the dining room and fled. All this happened despite 24/7 State Police protection.
Balmer eventually surrendered and told police that if Shapiro had been within reach, he would have “beaten him with a hammer” he had with him, the complaint said.
Shapiro, his family, and some relatives were at the mansion when the fires broke out.
Shapiro thanked President Donald Trump and federal officials for their support, singling out FBI Director Kash Patel, who he said “was extremely kind and courteous and thoughtful in his conversation with me.”
“Thanks be to God that Governor Shapiro and his family were unharmed in this attack. Really disgusting violence, and I hope whoever did it is brought swiftly to justice,” Vice President J.D. Vance posted on X.
Thanks be to God that Governor Shapiro and his family were unharmed in this attack.
Really disgusting violence, and I hope whoever did it is brought swiftly to justice. https://t.co/U47C6mXvDP
— JD Vance (@JDVance) April 14, 2025
Shapiro noted at the Sunday evening briefing that his family, friends, and community members had gathered hours before the incident to celebrate the Jewish holiday of Passover.
“I refuse to be trapped by the bondage that someone attempted to put on me and my family,” Shapiro said, according to Axios.
“I refuse to let anyone with evil intentions stop me from being a leader and looking out for Pennsylvania residents.”
“This kind of violence is becoming far too common in our society. … We have to be better than this. And we have a responsibility to all be better,” Shapiro said Sunday, according to the Inquirer.
Last night at about 2AM, my family and I woke up to bangs on the door from the Pennsylvania State Police after an arsonist set fire to the Governor’s Residence in Harrisburg.
The Harrisburg Bureau of Fire was on the scene and while they worked to put out the fire, we were…
— Governor Josh Shapiro (@GovernorShapiro) April 13, 2025
“If he was trying to terrorize our family, our friends, the Jewish community who joined us for a Passover Seder in that room last night, hear me on this: We celebrated our faith last night proudly and in a few hours we will celebrate our second Seder of Passover again proudly,” Shapiro added.
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