Governor’s home arson: Accused man said he would have beaten Pa. governor with hammer, police said

HARRISBURG, Pa. — A man is facing attempted murder, terrorism, aggravated arson and aggravated assault charges after police said he jumped an iron fence and set fire to the official residence of Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro.

Shapiro, his wife, four children, guests and staff were forced to evacuate the home at 2 a.m. Sunday hours after they had celebrated the Jewish holiday of Passover on Saturday night.

No one was hurt in the blaze, but the South wing of the building is badly damaged.

Pennsylvania State Police said they have Cody Balmer in custody.

Troopers said the Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, man climbed a nearly 7-foot-high security fence, broke a window with a hammer to enter the home and set the fire with what was described as a homemade incendiary device.

According to an affidavit, he took gasoline from a lawnmower and filled beer bottles to make Molotov cocktails, which he threw into the home.

Police said Balmer had planned the attack and was only inside the official home for about a minute.

He was able to get away and was on the run until his arrest later Sunday after he turned himself in to authorities.

His former girlfriend had called police saying that Balmer had told her that he carried out the attack and wanted her to call police to turn him in.

He later went to state police headquarters and told a trooper there that he was “responsible” for the fire and that he “wished to turn himself in.”

Police did not release an exact motive for the attack, but Balmer allegedly told police that he was “harboring hatred” toward Shapiro and would have beaten him with a hammer if he had come across the governor, according to an affidavit.

Balmer said he knew that Shapiro and others were possibly in the home during the attack.

In addition to the charges already filed in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, Balmer may also face federal charges, officials said. The FBI Philadelphia field office is helping the state police in the investigation.

He was being held at the Dauphin County Prison for arraignment.

The governor’s residence is a 29,000 square foot, Georgian-style building which was completed in 1968 and has been the home to eight governors and their families.

It is about a mile and a half from the State Capitol in Harrisburg.

Shapiro responds

Shapiro said the attack was not only on his family but also on “the entire Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.”

The governor, who had been on the short list as a candidate for Vice President as Kamala Harris’ running mate, said, “This Type of violence is not OK. We have to be better than this,” adding he will not be “deterred.”

“If this individual was trying to deter me from doing my job as your governor, rest assured, I will find a way to work even harder than I was,” he said.

He also noted his foundation in his Jewish faith.

“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,” he said.

“No one will deter me or my family, or any Pennsylvanian from celebrating their faith openly and proudly.”

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