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CV NEWS FEED // A man broke into the official residence of Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro in the early morning hours of April 13 and ignited fires while the governor and his family were asleep inside.
Authorities have charged 38-year-old Cody Balmer with attempted murder, terrorism, aggravated arson, and a host of other felonies following what officials describe as a “targeted attack,” Pennsylvania Capital-Star reported.
“He clearly had a plan,” Lt. Col. George Bivens of the Pennsylvania State Police told the news outlet. “He was very methodical in his approach, and moved through it without a lot of hurry.”
Bivens confirmed Balmer was inside the residence for less than a minute, during which time he broke into two rooms and set fires with incendiary devices.
Balmer’s ex-girlfriend contacted state police, identifying him as the perpetrator and relaying his request that she “turn him in,” according to the criminal complaint filed in district court. Shortly thereafter, Balmer voluntarily approached a state trooper outside the agency’s Harrisburg headquarters and surrendered.
In his police interview, Balmer admitted to hurling Molotov cocktails — crafted from beer bottles — inside the residence, expressing hatred toward Shapiro and planning to beat the governor with a hammer if he found him inside.
Shapiro and his family evacuated safely, thanks to swift action by his security detail. Speaking later on Sunday afternoon at a press conference outside the charred residence, Shapiro thanked first responders and condemned the violence unequivocally.
“We don’t know the person’s specific motive yet, but we do know a few truths. First, this type of violence is not okay,” Shapiro said.
He added that this type of violence has become “far too common in our society” and that he didn’t care if “it’s coming from one particular side or the other, directed at one particular party or another, or one particular person or another, it is not okay, and it has to stop.”
The governor also noted the timing of the attack — hours after his family celebrated the first night of Passover.
“No one will deter me or my family or any Pennsylvanian from celebrating their faith openly and proudly,” he said.
Video surveillance revealed Balmer scaled a fence to access the property. After breaking into the home and deploying the Molotov cocktails, he fled. At Balmer’s residence, investigators recovered clothing, gloves, and a bag used in the attack.
Balmer was transferred to a local hospital following a medical episode unrelated to the fire or his arrest. His arraignment has been delayed, the Capital-Star reported. As of now, no clear motive beyond Balmer’s admitted personal animus has been established, but public records show he recently faced foreclosure and had pending assault charges.
A now-removed Facebook account linked to his name revealed that Balmer worked as an auto mechanic and had publicly expressed discontent with both major political parties. He had no registered party affiliation and last voted in 2022.
