Topline
Cody Balmer, who is suspected of setting Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro’s home on fire over the weekend, said his motivation for the attack was Shapiro’s stance on the death of Palestinians in Gaza, according to a search warrant from police.
This image provided by Commonwealth Media Services shows damage after a fire at the Pennsylvania … More
Key Facts
A search warrant made public Wednesday said Balmer made contact with Dauphin County 911 at 2:50 a.m. EDT on Sunday—shortly after the attack—and said Shapiro needed to know that Balmer “will not take part in his plans for what he wants to do to the Palestinian people.”
Balmer also said he needed to “stop having my friends killed” and that “our people have been put through too much by that monster.”
Before the call ended, Balmer said he was not hiding and would “confess to everything that I had done,” according to the warrant.
As a result of the call, the police requested in the search warrant to seize electronics and any writings or notes that mentioned Shapiro or had “reference to Palestine, Gaza, Israel or the current conflict in Gaza.”
The search warrant yielded four smartphones, one laptop and one external hard drive that are being investigated, according to the warrant.
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Crucial Quote
In a press conference shortly after the warrant was made public, Shapiro said “nothing he could do would deter me from doing my job as governor, nothing he could do would deter me from proudly and openly practicing my faith.” Shapiro also repeated something he said Sunday: “This kind of violence has no place in our society, regardless of what motivates it. This is not how we resolve our differences.”
News Peg
Early Sunday morning, someone broke in and set fire to the Pennsylvania governor’s mansion while Shapiro, his family and guests were home, though they were evacuated and no injuries were reported. Balmer, 38, turned himself in to police later in the day and was arrested and denied bail. Police allege Balmer climbed a fence, broke a window and threw “an incendiary device into the residence” before breaking another window and entering the home, where he “deployed a second incendiary device,” according to the warrant. In an interview with police after the fire, Balmer “admitted to harboring hatred towards” Shapiro and told them he committed the crime. He said if Shapiro had found him in the residence, he would have “beaten him with his hammer.” Some Democrats were worried the attack, which came on the first night of Passover, targeted Shapiro because of his faith, The Washington Post reported. After the attack, Shapiro said in a statement, “this kind of violence has become far too common in our society, and it has to stop.”
What Charges Does Balmer Face?
Balmer was charged with attempted homicide, terrorism and aggravated arson, among other counts, multiple outlets reported.
Who Is Cody Balmer?
Balmer has had criminal convictions and was charged with assault after his wife called police and reported domestic violence, according to court documents. He had previously worked as a mechanic, though one of his former employers said in a Facebook post he had not worked for them in more than two years. NBC News reported Balmer had also worked as a construction equipment repairer with the Army Reserve for eight years, though he ended work there in 2012 and had no deployments. A Facebook page appearing to belong to Balmer had been critical of former President Joe Biden in the past, saying in 2021, “Biden supporters shouldn’t exist. Where were you his first run? Well aware of the trash he is,” according to CNN. He was registered to vote in Pennsylvania but was not affiliated with a political party, according to voter records.
What To Watch For
A preliminary hearing for Balmer in the arson case was set for 2 p.m. EDT on April 23.
Further Reading
Suspect in Pa. Governor’s Mansion Arson Cited Treatment of Palestinians, Police Say (New York Times)
