JUST IN: Arrest Made In Connection With Arson Attack On PA Governor’s Home
The Pennsylvania State Police announced that a suspect is in custody in connection with the alleged arson attack targeting Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro’s home in the state capital of Harrisburg on Sunday morning.
Cody Balmer, 38, is expected to face charges of attempted murder, terrorism, aggravated arson, and aggravated assault against an enumerated person, authorities said.
Shapiro and his family were forced to evacuate shortly after 2 a.m. local time after they were awoken by a series of “loud bangs.” Each of the family members were in separate sections of the building, though all were able to evacuate safely without any injuries.
The attack occurred just a few hours after the governor, who is Jewish, posted a photo of his family celebrating the first night of Passover on Saturday. “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,” a visibly emotional Shapiro told reporters.
Shapiro speaks to supporters in Philadelphia after winning his first gubernatorial election in 2022
Balmer allegedly snuck into the gated compound after jumping a fence, police said. Investigators are currently probing the cause behind numerous security failures, as multiple Pennsylvania state troopers were on the premises at the time of the incident.
From there, Balmer allegedly broke into the house, set fire to the residence and managed to escape back over the fence.
Investigators believe the attack was “targeted,” but have not yet determined a specific motive. A State Police spokesman did not share additional details on a potential motive when announcing the arrest to reporters, stressing that the investigation is still in its early stages.
The Pennsylvania State Police will be conducting arson, attempted homicide, and aggravated arson investigations, Colonel Christopher Paris, the state police commissioner, told reporters.
A photo from suspected arsonist Cody Balmer’s Facebook profile
Deputy Police Commissioner George Bivens stated that Balmer was carrying a homemade incendiary device and managed to evade officers, who were already aware of a security breach. He was arrested in the Harrisburg area shortly after Governor Shapiro and his family were safely evacuated.
While the governor and his family thankfully escaped without injury, the blaze caused extensive damage to the governor’s mansion, which has served as the official residence for Pennsylvania’s chief executive since 1968. Footage from the scene shows the property’s dining room completely torched just hours after the family sat down for Passover.
“This type of violence is not okay. This kind of violence is becoming far too common in our society, and I don’t give a damn if it’s coming from one particular side or the other. Directed at one particular party or another, one particular person or another. It is not OK. And it has to stop, we have to be better than this. We have a responsibility to all be better,” the governor said while speaking to reporters on Sunday.
“Rest assured, I will find a way to work even harder than I was just yesterday for the good people of Pennsylvania,” he added.
Shapiro, who is in his first term as governor of the Keystone State, was widely seen as a top contender to serve as former Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate last November. His name has also been floated as a potential frontrunner for the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination in 2022.