A Pennsylvania man has admitted to attempting to kill Governor Josh Shapiro by firebombing his official residence earlier this year. Cody Balmer, 38, pleaded guilty on Tuesday (October 14) to multiple charges, including attempted murder, aggravated arson, burglary, and 22 counts of arson—each representing a person endangered during the attack. Under a plea agreement, he faces a prison term ranging from 25 to 50 years, prosecutors announced.&nbsp;Balmer confessed to police that he was driven by “hatred” toward the Democratic governor. On the first night of Passover in April, he hurled a Molotov cocktail at the governor’s Georgian-style mansion in Harrisburg, where Shapiro was celebrating with friends and family. When asked by investigators what he would have done had he encountered Shapiro inside, Balmer chillingly replied that he “would have beaten him with his hammer.”&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/-plot-twist-no-one-asked-for-meloni-s-viral-expressions-at-gaza-peace-summit-sparks-buzz-online-watch-1760454165383">‘Plot twist no one asked for’: Meloni’s viral expressions at Gaza peace summit sparks buzz online | WATCH</a>&nbsp;Governor Shapiro and his family were inside the home at the time, though the fire broke out in a separate section of the building. They were awakened around 2 a.m. by a state trooper who knocked on their door, and they were safely evacuated. No injuries were reported, but the mansion sustained significant damage.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/imf-forecasts-india-s-gdp-growth-to-6-6-for-2025-despite-us-tariff-concerns-1760451727341">IMF forecasts India’s GDP growth to 6.6% for 2025 despite US tariff concerns</a>&nbsp;Surveillance footage showed Balmer scaling the perimeter fence, smashing windows, and throwing gasoline-filled beer bottles before entering and igniting another firebomb. He later fled the scene. An ex-partner tipped off authorities, saying Balmer wanted to surrender. He subsequently walked into a state police headquarters and confessed to carrying out the attack. Governor Shapiro, a high-profile Democrat often mentioned as a potential 2028 presidential candidate, later thanked first responders, saying, “Thank God no one was injured and the fire was extinguished.”

Pennsylvania man pleads guilty for firebombing governor Josh Shapiro’s home; gets up to 50 years in jail

A Pennsylvania man has admitted to attempting to kill Governor Josh Shapiro by firebombing his official residence earlier this year. Cody Balmer, 38, pleaded guilty on Tuesday (October 14) to multiple charges, including attempted murder, aggravated arson, burglary, and 22 counts of arson—each representing a person endangered during the attack. Under a plea agreement, he faces a prison term ranging from 25 to 50 years, prosecutors announced. Balmer confessed to police that he was driven by “hatred” toward the Democratic governor. On the first night of Passover in April, he hurled a Molotov cocktail at the governor’s Georgian-style mansion in Harrisburg, where Shapiro was celebrating with friends and family. When asked by investigators what he would have done had he encountered Shapiro inside, Balmer chillingly replied that he “would have beaten him with his hammer.” Also Read: ‘Plot twist no one asked for’: Meloni’s viral expressions at Gaza peace summit sparks buzz online | WATCH Governor Shapiro and his family were inside the home at the time, though the fire broke out in a separate section of the building. They were awakened around 2 a.m. by a state trooper who knocked on their door, and they were safely evacuated. No injuries were reported, but the mansion sustained significant damage. Also Read: IMF forecasts India’s GDP growth to 6.6% for 2025 despite US tariff concerns Surveillance footage showed Balmer scaling the perimeter fence, smashing windows, and throwing gasoline-filled beer bottles before entering and igniting another firebomb. He later fled the scene. An ex-partner tipped off authorities, saying Balmer wanted to surrender. He subsequently walked into a state police headquarters and confessed to carrying out the attack. Governor Shapiro, a high-profile Democrat often mentioned as a potential 2028 presidential candidate, later thanked first responders, saying, “Thank God no one was injured and the fire was extinguished.”

Cody Balmer pleaded guilty to attempted murder and arson for firebombing Governor Josh Shapiro’s home, receiving a 25–50 year prison sentence

A man has been arrested after admitting to setting fire to Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro&rsquo;s official residence in Harrisburg in the early hours of Sunday morning. Authorities say the suspect, Cody Balmer, 38, was driven by a personal hatred for the governor.
According to Pennsylvania State Police, Balmer used a hammer to break into the Governor&rsquo;s Residence before throwing three Molotov cocktails inside, starting multiple fires while Governor Shapiro and his family were asleep upstairs.
<h2>'He would have used the hammer on the governor'</h2>
Balmer told officers that if he had come face to face with Shapiro, he would have attacked him with the hammer, according to the affidavit filed on Monday.
The suspect reportedly jumped the fence surrounding the property, broke a window, and threw one of the firebombs inside, sparking a huge blaze. He then entered through another broken window and set two more fires using similar devices&nbsp;before escaping through a fire exit, said Dauphin County District Attorney Fran Chardo.
Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/putin-started-it-biden-blew-it-zelenskys-incompetent-trump-blames-three-people-for-millions-of-deaths-in-ukraine-war-8962151" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">&lsquo;Putin started it, Biden blew it, Zelensky's incompetent&rsquo;: Trump blames 'three people' for millions of deaths in Ukraine war</a>
Surveillance cameras captured Balmer breaking in and starting the fire. He spent around one minute inside the home, managing to evade troopers who were actively searching the area.
<h2>Suspect turned himself in</h2>
Later that day, a woman, believed to be Balmer&rsquo;s ex-partner, contacted the police and said he had confessed to her. Balmer turned himself in at Harrisburg police headquarters and admitted to the attack. He reportedly told officers that he hated Shapiro and had intended to assault him.
Police later searched Balmer&rsquo;s home and found a jacket with unique shoulder patches, matching what was seen in the surveillance footage.
Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/donald-trump-praises-nayib-bukele-el-salvador-us-deportees-mega-prison-8962078" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">&lsquo;One hell of a president&rsquo;: Trump praises &lsquo;world&rsquo;s coolest dictator&rsquo; Bukele as El Salvador jails US deportees in mega-prison</a>
<h2>Who is Cody Balmer, and what charges does he face?</h2>
Balmer has been charged with attempted murder, terrorism, aggravated arson, burglary, and other offences. Police confirmed he had a detailed plan and carried homemade incendiary devices.
His mother, Christie Balmer, told CBS News that her son is mentally ill and had stopped taking his medication. She said she tried to get him help days earlier by contacting four different police departments, but no one responded.
&ldquo;He was mentally ill, went off his meds, and this is what happened,&rdquo; she said.
<h2>Trump, Biden condemn the attack</h2>
Joe Biden condemned the arson attack, saying he was &ldquo;disgusted&rdquo; by the fire that caused significant damage and forced Governor Shapiro, his family and guests to evacuate during the Jewish holiday of Passover. &ldquo;We are relieved that they are safe and grateful to the first responders,&rdquo; the president posted on X on Monday.
Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/i-just-got-here-trump-insists-russia-ukraine-war-not-his-war-slams-zelensky-biden-for-absolutely-horrible-job-8961927" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">&lsquo;I just got here&rsquo;: Trump insists Russia-Ukraine War &lsquo;not his war,&rsquo; slams Zelensky, Biden for &lsquo;absolutely horrible job&rsquo;</a>
Donald Trump also spoke about the incident from the Oval Office earlier in the day. Asked about the suspect, Trump said Balmer was &ldquo;probably a whack job&rdquo; and &ldquo;not a fan&rdquo; of his. &ldquo;A thing like that cannot be allowed to happen,&rdquo; he added.
<h2>Governor speaks out: 'This type of violence is not OK'</h2>
At a press conference on Sunday, Governor Shapiro described how state troopers woke his family around 2 am to alert them of the fire. They were safely evacuated, but photos show the fire caused significant damage to the ground floor.
&ldquo;If he was trying to terrorise 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,&rdquo; he said.
&ldquo;This kind of violence has become far too common in our society,&rdquo; Shapiro added. &ldquo;And I don&rsquo;t give a damn if it&rsquo;s coming from one side or the other... it is not OK and it has to stop. We have to be better than this,&rdquo; he said.

World: Balmer used a hammer to break into the Governor’s Residence before throwing three Molotov cocktails inside, starting multiple fires while Governor Shapiro and his family were asleep.

A man has been arrested after admitting to setting fire to Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro’s official residence in Harrisburg in the early hours of Sunday morning. Authorities say the suspect, Cody Balmer, 38, was driven by a personal hatred for the governor. According to Pennsylvania State Police, Balmer used a hammer to break into the Governor’s Residence before throwing three Molotov cocktails inside, starting multiple fires while Governor Shapiro and his family were asleep upstairs. 'He would have used the hammer on the governor' Balmer told officers that if he had come face to face with Shapiro, he would have attacked him with the hammer, according to the affidavit filed on Monday. The suspect reportedly jumped the fence surrounding the property, broke a window, and threw one of the firebombs inside, sparking a huge blaze. He then entered through another broken window and set two more fires using similar devices before escaping through a fire exit, said Dauphin County District Attorney Fran Chardo. Also read: ‘Putin started it, Biden blew it, Zelensky's incompetent’: Trump blames 'three people' for millions of deaths in Ukraine war Surveillance cameras captured Balmer breaking in and starting the fire. He spent around one minute inside the home, managing to evade troopers who were actively searching the area. Suspect turned himself in Later that day, a woman, believed to be Balmer’s ex-partner, contacted the police and said he had confessed to her. Balmer turned himself in at Harrisburg police headquarters and admitted to the attack. He reportedly told officers that he hated Shapiro and had intended to assault him. Police later searched Balmer’s home and found a jacket with unique shoulder patches, matching what was seen in the surveillance footage. Also read: ‘One hell of a president’: Trump praises ‘world’s coolest dictator’ Bukele as El Salvador jails US deportees in mega-prison Who is Cody Balmer, and what charges does he face? Balmer has been charged with attempted murder, terrorism, aggravated arson, burglary, and other offences. Police confirmed he had a detailed plan and carried homemade incendiary devices. His mother, Christie Balmer, told CBS News that her son is mentally ill and had stopped taking his medication. She said she tried to get him help days earlier by contacting four different police departments, but no one responded. “He was mentally ill, went off his meds, and this is what happened,” she said. Trump, Biden condemn the attack Joe Biden condemned the arson attack, saying he was “disgusted” by the fire that caused significant damage and forced Governor Shapiro, his family and guests to evacuate during the Jewish holiday of Passover. “We are relieved that they are safe and grateful to the first responders,” the president posted on X on Monday. Also read: ‘I just got here’: Trump insists Russia-Ukraine War ‘not his war,’ slams Zelensky, Biden for ‘absolutely horrible job’ Donald Trump also spoke about the incident from the Oval Office earlier in the day. Asked about the suspect, Trump said Balmer was “probably a whack job” and “not a fan” of his. “A thing like that cannot be allowed to happen,” he added. Governor speaks out: 'This type of violence is not OK' At a press conference on Sunday, Governor Shapiro described how state troopers woke his family around 2 am to alert them of the fire. They were safely evacuated, but photos show the fire caused significant damage to the ground floor. “If he was trying to terrorise 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. “This kind of violence has become far too common in our society,” Shapiro added. “And I don’t give a damn if it’s coming from one side or the other... it is not OK and it has to stop. We have to be better than this,” he said.

'Three Molotov cocktails, hammer': How Cody Balmer set Governor Shapiro's home on fire while his family slept upstairs

Pennsylvania Governor&nbsp;Josh Shapiro said that billionaire Elon Musk’s plan to give $1 million to anybody who signs his America PAC before the presidential elections is “deeply concerning.”

“I think there are real questions with how he is spending money in this race. How the dark money is flowing, not just into Pennsylvania but apparently now into the pockets of Pennsylvanians,” said Shapiro on Sunday (Oct 20) on NBC News’s “Meet the Press.”

“That is deeply concerning," he added.

Shapiro said that Musk, who has endorsed Trump publicly and made appearances at rallies with him, has a right to express his views.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/elon-musk-echoes-trumps-voting-machine-conspiracy-theories-pushes-for-paper-ballots-just-too-easy-to-hack-769131">Elon Musk echoes Trump's voting machine conspiracy theories, pushes for paper ballots: 'Just too easy to hack'</a>

“He’s made it very, very clear that he supports Donald Trump. I don’t obviously, we have a difference of opinion. I don’t deny him that right,&nbsp;but when you start flowing this kind of money into politics, I think it raises serious questions," Shapiro said.

He further raised concerns regarding funding and interference of Musk in the presidential election.

“I think it raises serious questions that folks may want to take a look at,” he said.

When NBC News’s Kristin Welker asked Shapiro if plans of Musk are legal, the former Pennsylvania attorney general said that he was not able to weigh in on the issue.

“I think it’s something that law enforcement can take a look at,” Shapiro said.

Watch:&nbsp;Elon Musk Unveils Robotaxi Without Steering Wheels or Pedals

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/elon-musk-unveils-robotaxi-without-steering-wheels-or-pedals-766669/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Meanwhile, speaking to NBC News, law professor at the University of California, Rick Hasen, said, "Essentially, what you’re doing is you are creating a lottery. You’re creating a lottery where the only people eligible to participate in the lottery are people who register to vote, or are registered to vote, and that’s illegal."&nbsp;

<h2>Musk's $1 million proposal&nbsp;</h2>

Musk on Saturday (Oct 19) appealed to people to sign the petition in support&nbsp;of the right to bear arms and free speech and take $1 million in exchange.&nbsp;

“The only thing we ask for the million dollars is that you be a spokesperson for the petition,” said Musk.

On the website of the group, a statement read, “America PAC was created to support these key values: Secure Borders, Safe Cities, Sensible spending, Fair Justice System, Free Speech, Right to Self-Protection.” 
 
Musk said he wants to get “over a million, maybe two million, voters in the battleground states to sign the petition in support of the First and Second Amendment.”

“I think [it] sends a crucial message to our elected politicians,” said Musk.

(With inputs from agencies)

Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro said that billionaire Elon Musk’s plan to give $1 million to anybody who signs his America PAC before the presidential elections is “deeply concerning.

Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro said that billionaire Elon Musk’s plan to give $1 million to anybody who signs his America PAC before the presidential elections is “deeply concerning.” “I think there are real questions with how he is spending money in this race. How the dark money is flowing, not just into Pennsylvania but apparently now into the pockets of Pennsylvanians,” said Shapiro on Sunday (Oct 20) on NBC News’s “Meet the Press.” “That is deeply concerning," he added. Shapiro said that Musk, who has endorsed Trump publicly and made appearances at rallies with him, has a right to express his views. Also Read: Elon Musk echoes Trump's voting machine conspiracy theories, pushes for paper ballots: 'Just too easy to hack' “He’s made it very, very clear that he supports Donald Trump. I don’t obviously, we have a difference of opinion. I don’t deny him that right, but when you start flowing this kind of money into politics, I think it raises serious questions," Shapiro said. He further raised concerns regarding funding and interference of Musk in the presidential election. “I think it raises serious questions that folks may want to take a look at,” he said. When NBC News’s Kristin Welker asked Shapiro if plans of Musk are legal, the former Pennsylvania attorney general said that he was not able to weigh in on the issue. “I think it’s something that law enforcement can take a look at,” Shapiro said. Watch: Elon Musk Unveils Robotaxi Without Steering Wheels or Pedals Meanwhile, speaking to NBC News, law professor at the University of California, Rick Hasen, said, "Essentially, what you’re doing is you are creating a lottery. You’re creating a lottery where the only people eligible to participate in the lottery are people who register to vote, or are registered to vote, and that’s illegal." Musk's $1 million proposal Musk on Saturday (Oct 19) appealed to people to sign the petition in support of the right to bear arms and free speech and take $1 million in exchange. “The only thing we ask for the million dollars is that you be a spokesperson for the petition,” said Musk. On the website of the group, a statement read, “America PAC was created to support these key values: Secure Borders, Safe Cities, Sensible spending, Fair Justice System, Free Speech, Right to Self-Protection.” Musk said he wants to get “over a million, maybe two million, voters in the battleground states to sign the petition in support of the First and Second Amendment.” “I think [it] sends a crucial message to our elected politicians,” said Musk. (With inputs from agencies)

Governor appeals law enforcers to look into Musk’s proposal to give $1mn to his petition signers

josh-shapiro

Josh Shapiro, News on Josh Shapiro, stories on Josh Shapiro, articles on Josh Shapiro, Josh Shapiro stories at Wion, Josh Shapiro news, Josh Shapiro latest news

josh shapiro

Pennsylvania man pleads guilty for firebombing governor Josh Shapiro’s home; gets up to 50 years in jail

'Three Molotov cocktails, hammer': How Cody Balmer set Governor Shapiro's home on fire while his family slept upstairs

Governor appeals law enforcers to look into Musk’s proposal to give $1mn to his petition signers