Pennsylvania State Police have arrested a Harrisburg man for the arson attack on Gov. Josh Shapiro and his family that sent them fleeing from the governor’s residence on the first night of Passover.
Cody Balmer, 38, of Harrisburg, is expected to face charges of attempted murder, terrorism, aggravated arson, and aggravated assault against an enumerated person, authorities said.
Shapiro, who is Jewish, became visibly emotional as he spoke about the 2 a.m. attack on his home as he and his family slept inside.
“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.
The entire home was safely evacuated and no one was injured, Shapiro wrote on X.
Balmer was allegedly carrying homemade incendiary devices when he snuck into the gated compound that is the official residence of the governor by jumping a fence, according to police.
Investigators believe the attack was “targeted,” but haven’t determined a specific motive, Shapiro said. Police did not release more details on Balmer’s actions.
The Pennsylvania State Police will be conducting arson, attempted homicide, and aggravated arson investigations, Colonel Christopher Paris, state police commissioner, said.
Shapiro, a leader in the Democratic Party, was first elected governor of Pennsylvania in 2022 after serving six years as state attorney general. He was on the shortlist of potential running mates for former Vice President Kamala Harris’ failed 2024 presidential bid, and his name has been tossed around as a possible frontrunner for the 2028 presidential election.
While thanking the public for their well wishes in the wake of the attack, Shapiro took a stand against political violence.
“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,” Shapiro said.
In the spirit of pushing forward, Shapiro asserted that the attack — while frightening for his family — did not shake his commitment to his constituents.
“Rest assured, I will find a way to work even harder than I was just yesterday for the good people of Pennsylvania,” he said.
