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

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'

Add WION as a Preferred Source

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 devicesbefore escaping through a fire exit, said Dauphin County District Attorney Fran Chardo.

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.

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.

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.