Man Arrested for Torching PA Governor's Mansion while Family Slept
The Philadelphia Inquirer
(TNS)
Apr. 13—Pennsylvania State Police took a 38-year-old Harrisburg man into custody Sunday, saying he intentionally set fire to Gov. Josh Shapiro's official residence and would be charged with attempted murder of the governor and his family.
Authorities identified the suspect as Cody A. Balmer, who has a Harrisburg post office address and is expected to be charged with a litany of crimes, including terrorism and arson.
Shapiro, first lady Lori Shapiro, and their children evacuated the governor's residence in Harrisburg at about 2 a.m. Sunday, hours after the family celebrated Passover there.
Police did not identify a motive during a news conference Sunday afternoon.
The incident immediately raised questions about security on the premises, which is under constant monitoring by state troopers. Officials said Balmer was armed with homemade incendiary devices and cleared a fence, then evaded police for several minutes. He briefly entered the inside of the home, where he set the fire.
Balmer then escaped, according to police, and was taken into custody elsewhere in Harrisburg more than 12 hours later.
"He clearly had a plan," Lt. Col. George Bivens, of the state police, said. "He was very methodical in his approach, and moved through it without a lot of hurry."
State police were still collecting evidence Sunday, and investigators were being assisted by the FBI and other federal partners.
Shapiro, 51, is a first-term governor who is seen as a front-runner to be the 2028 Democratic nominee for president. He is one of the nation's most prominent Democratic elected officials and Pennsylvania's third Jewish governor, who talks often about his faith and how it shapes his leadership.
On Saturday evening, the first night of Passover, Shapiro posted a photo of his family's Seder dinner at the governor's residence.
The fire was set in the same room where the dinner was held.
An emotional Shapiro condemned the incident during the news conference, saying, "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."
He added: "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."
Investigators said they were still probing how Balmer allegedly gained access to the property. Col. Christopher L. Paris described the investigation as "very active and dynamic," and said the complex crime scene was still being processed Sunday afternoon.
Officials said they did not expect Balmer to be charged with conspiracy, suggesting that investigators believe he worked alone.
Courts records show Balmer has faced criminal charges on several occasions over the last decade, including for assault, forgery, and traffic-related offenses.
In 2023, Balmer was charged with three counts of simple assault in a case that is ongoing in Dauphin County. In 2016, he pleaded guilty to one felony count of forgery and was sentenced to 18 months of probation.
Details were not immediately available about either case.
Shapiro was in contention to be former Vice President Kamala Harris' running mate in the 2024 election, before she ultimately chose Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. He has also been credited by national media for toeing the line in the initial months of President Donald Trump's second term by suing him on three occasions, but avoiding constant criticism of him during a hyper-partisan time.
The governor thanked the president and federal authorities for supporting the investigation. He said Sunday that he spoke to FBI Director Kash Patel, who "was extremely kind and courteous and thoughtful in his conversation with me."
The extent of the damage on the 29,000-square-foot mansion along the Susquehanna River was unclear. Photos of the scene show a blackened door and broken windows, among other damage.
The governor lives in the residence when he is not at his home in Abington Township. He has four children, two of whom are still minors who attend private school in Montgomery County.
He also often uses the residence for events, including as a place for budget negotiations, which are set to begin in the coming months.
There was bipartisan condemnation of the attack Sunday from elected officials and former governors.
Former Gov. Tom Ridge, a Republican and the nation's first secretary of Homeland Security, said in a statement that the images of the home he once lived in were "heartbreaking."
"All of us should feel safe in our homes," he said, "especially when that home is our state's official residence, which makes this particularly shocking."
House Majority Leader Matt Bradford (D., Montgomery) called the arson a "senseless, disgusting act" and "reprehensible and the perpetrator should face the full weight of the law."
The Pennsylvania Republican Party called the attack "shocking and troubling," and U.S. Rep. Dan Meuser (R., Pa.), who is considering a run against Shapiro in 2026, wrote on X that it "was not just an attack on one family, it was an attack on the values we all share as Americans."
Two lawmakers who chair the bicameral Legislative Jewish Caucus in the statehouse said they were awaiting more details from law enforcement, but "can't ignore the fear and anxiety reverberating through Jewish communities."
"What we know is deeply troubling: the state police believe it was arson, and that it took place on the first night of Passover — one of the most sacred and widely observed nights in Jewish tradition," State Sen. Judy Schwank (D., Berks) and Rep. Dan Frankel (D., Allegheny) said in a joint statement.
On Sunday, Shapiro said he and his family were overwhelmed by the outpouring of support from across the country and from "so many caring citizens of this great commonwealth."
When asked to reflect on the seriousness of the incident, Shapiro was brief.
"Honestly," he said, "I just right now want to be a good father and a good husband and take care of my family."
Staff writers Dylan Purcell and Hira Qureshi contributed to this article.
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