A 38-year-old man is facing criminal charges after allegedly breaking into the Pennsylvania governor’s mansion in the middle of the night on Sunday and starting a fire that caused significant damage and forced Josh Shapiro and his family to evacuate.
Firefighters in Harrisburg, the capital city of Pennsylvania, extinguished the blaze by early morning, and no injuries were reported.
Here is what we know about the attack and the suspect.
What happened?
Shapiro said in the early hours, at about 2am (06:00 GMT) on Sunday, a state trooper from their security detail woke him and his family by banging on their door and telling them they needed to evacuate immediately.
Police were alerted that someone had scaled the fence and began searching the grounds, but they were initially unable to find anyone.
According to police, a man broke into the southern wing of the residence, entering a room commonly used for hosting guests and displaying artwork. He allegedly started a fire using a homemade incendiary device.
According to reports, the fire caused extensive damage – charring the walls, tables, buffet serving dishes, plates, and a piano. Window panes and the brickwork surrounding doors and windows were also blackened.
The police identified the suspect as Cody Balmer, a resident of Harrisburg.
Last night at about 2AM, my family and I woke up to bangs on the door from the Pennsylvania State Police after an arsonist set fire to the Governor’s Residence in Harrisburg.
The Harrisburg Bureau of Fire was on the scene and while they worked to put out the fire, we were…
— Governor Josh Shapiro (@GovernorShapiro) April 13, 2025
Who is Cody Balmer?
The suspect, 38-year-old Balmer, has over the past decade faced various criminal charges, including simple assault, theft and forgery, according to online court records. In 2016, he received a probation sentence after pleading guilty to theft and forgery.
Officials said he was taken into custody in Harrisburg on Sunday afternoon.
According to a CNN report, after Balmer fled, a woman claiming to be his ex-partner contacted police and stated that he had confessed to starting the fire.
Following this, Balmer turned himself in at police headquarters.
He admitted to state troopers that he had set the fires and was charged with attempted murder, terrorism, aggravated arson and aggravated assault, authorities said. He is currently held without bond at Dauphin County Prison in Harrisburg.
Photos from inside Pennsylvania Governor’s mansion after police say an arsonist set fire to the house while Governor Shapiro and his family slept inside around 2am.
Cody Balmer of Harrisburg was arrested — planned charges include attempted murder and terrorism. pic.twitter.com/GWEfC3B8qH— Brian Entin (@BrianEntin) April 13, 2025
How did Balmer get on the property?
According to officials, he scaled a 7-foot (2.1-metre) fence surrounding the governor’s residence and broke into the home before igniting the fire.
Newsweek reported that Dauphin County District Attorney Fran Chardo said Balmer illegally entered the property, shattering a window using a hammer. He then allegedly threw a Molotov cocktail inside, “igniting a substantial fire within”.
Authorities said Balmer was inside the residence for less than a minute before he escaped. He managed to “actively evade” troopers, who were simultaneously searching the premises, officials said.
During a news conference, Shapiro described the attack as “targeted”, though the motive remains unclear.
Shapiro said the fire was set in the very room where he and his family had joined members of Harrisburg’s Jewish community for a Passover seder on Saturday night.
“We don’t yet know the individual’s exact motive,” Shapiro, who is Jewish, said during a news conference.
“But there are a few things we do know. First: this kind of violence is unacceptable. It’s happening far too often in our society. And frankly, I don’t care which side it’s coming from, who it’s targeting, or what the reasoning is — it’s wrong and it needs to end. We must do better than this.”
Last night at the Governor’s Residence, we experienced an attack not just on our family, but on the entire Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
This kind of violence has become far too common in our society, and it has to stop. pic.twitter.com/5HP5JSvgfc
— Governor Josh Shapiro (@GovernorShapiro) April 13, 2025
Who is Josh Shapiro?
At 51, Shapiro is serving his first term as governor of Pennsylvania, the nation’s fifth-largest state and a key presidential battleground. These factors have elevated his profile within the Democratic Party and positioned him as a potential contender for the White House in 2028.
Shapiro, a Jew, has often spoken publicly about his faith.
Since taking office as governor, he has raised eyebrows – particularly among progressive Democrats – for denouncing pro-Palestinian student protesters on college campuses.
Shapiro told US publication Politico last year: “I do feel a somewhat unique responsibility to speak out when I see this level of anti-Semitism on our campuses and in our communities.”
Shapiro and his wife, Lori, have four children together: Sophia, Jonah, Max and Reuben.
The Pennsylvania governor’s residence in Harrisburg is a 29,000-square-foot (2,694-square-metre) Georgian-style mansion built in 1968, which has served as the home for eight governors.
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