The suspect behind the attempted “arson” of Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro’s home Sunday night as the family slept inside has been identified by authorities.
Cody Balmer, 38, is in custody and will be charged with attempted murder, terrorism, aggravated arson, and aggravated assault against an enumerated person, local authorities said at a news conference Sunday.
They alleged that Balmer entered the residence by crossing over a fence with “homemade incendiary devices” in his possession. He was apprehended later on Sunday in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
Though Shapiro said a motive is still unknown, he claimed the attack was “targeted” during the news conference.
“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,” Shapiro said. “Again, proudly, no one will deter me or my family, or any Pennsylvanian from celebrating their faith openly and proudly.”
“This type of violence is not OK,” he continued. “This kind of violence has become far too common in our society. 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.”
Shapiro and his family woke up at 2 a.m. on Sunday to police banging on their door about the fire, the 51-year-old wrote in a statement on social media.
He wrote that an “arsonist” had “set fire to the Governor’s Residence in Harrisburg,” and that local emergency responders had swiftly arrived at the scene to put out the fire.
“We were evacuated from the Residence safely by Pennsylvania State Police and assisted by Capitol Police. Thank God no one was injured and the fire was extinguished,” Shapiro continued. “Every day, we stand with the law enforcement and first responders who run towards danger to protect our communities. Last night, they did so for our family – and Lori and I are eternally grateful to them for keeping us safe."
Authorities say the suspect hopped over a fence and managed to evade police before forcibly entering the residence and setting it on fire. Police deputy commissioner George Bivens said it appeared to have been meticulously planned. Shapiro confirmed the fire was set in the room the family had celebrated Passover that night.
Pennsylvania State Police said in a statement earlier on Sunday that the fire had caused a “significant amount of damage” to part of the residence. They added that despite the investigation still being ongoing, they were “prepared to say” that it was “an act of arson.”
In an X post Sunday afternoon, Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman described the incident as “truly appalling” and said “whoever did this must be held to the fullest extent of the law.”
Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg also expressed his concerns on X and the alarming implications of the incident occurring during Passover.
“While we wait to learn more, this much is clear: the targeting of a public official and his family - especially a prominent Jewish official on a major Jewish holiday - is unconscionable and has no place in our country,” Buttigieg wrote.
Shapiro was elected Pennsylvania governor in 2022. He previously served as state attorney general for six years. A rising star in the Democratic Party, Shapiro made the list for Kamala Harris’ picks for vice-presidential candidates during her campaign in late 2024. The position ultimately went to Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz however. He also has been widely regarded as a contender for the 2028 presidential race.
