At around 2 a.m. on April 13, Pennsylvania’s Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro’s residence was set on fire in a suspected arson attack. Shapiro and his family reside at the Governor’s Residence in Harrisburg, as have seven other governors in the Commonwealth’s long history.
Cody Balmer, 28, was arrested on April 13 and was charged with attempted murder, aggravated arson, burglary, terrorism and other offenses. According to a press release from the Dauphin County District Attorney’s Office, video surveillance showed someone jumping a wall into the residence and using a hammer to break a window on the south side of the residence. The person then threw a Molotov Cocktail, a type of homemade bomb, into the residence before entering through a window in the east of the building.
After the person entered the residence, they started two more fires with Molotov Cocktails before leaving through the door.
There were no injuries to Shapiro or his family, who were sleeping when the fires were set. Shapiro, his wife, Lori, and his four children, along with several other Jewish community members, were celebrating the first night of Passover in the state dining room before the attack.
“Thank God no one was injured and the fire was extinguished,” Shapiro said in a post on X. “Every day, we stand with law enforcement and first responders who run towards danger to protect our communities. Last night, they did so for our family – and Lori and I are eternally grateful to them for keeping us safe.”
The person seen on video was wearing a unique jacket with distinct shoulder patches, and after state police troopers interviewed Balmer, he told them he was the person seen on video, according to the press release. The release also said troopers found the jacket seen on video inside of Balmer’s home.
According to a criminal complaint, Balmer approached a state police officer and told them that he wanted to turn himself in. During an interview with police, the criminal complaint said he harbored hatred towards Shapiro. The complaint says that Balmer knew there was a possibility people were in the home and said he would have beaten Shapiro with a hammer if Shapiro found him in the residence.
Balmer is being held in the Dauphin County Prison without bail. His preliminary hearing is set for April 23.
Shapiro has drawn support from political leaders nationwide. President Donald Trump, a Republican, condemned the attack and said the attacker was “probably just a whack job.”
In a post on X, Vice-President JD Vance, also a Republican, called the attack “Really disgusting violence, and I hope whoever did it is brought swiftly to justice.”
The Governor’s Residence is a 29,000 square-foot Georgian Style Home completed in 1968. The Residence has been used for public tours, art exhibits and other business like conversations about the budget with state legislative leaders.
