Officials work to uncover the motive for fire set at Pennsylvania
governor's residence
[April 15, 2025]
By MARK SCOLFORO and MARC LEVY
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Investigators worked Tuesday to uncover the
motive behind an arson fire over the weekend at Pennsylvania Gov. Josh
Shapiro’s mansion, the latest act of political violence in the U.S.
They dug into Cody Balmer’s background after, authorities say, he scaled
an iron security fence in the middle of the night, eluded police and set
fire to the Pennsylvania governor’s mansion.
Balmer, 38, of Harrisburg, was denied bail Monday as he faced charges
including attempted homicide, terrorism and arson. He did not enter a
plea to the charges.
He had told police he planned to beat Shapiro with a small sledgehammer
if he encountered him after breaking into the building, according to
court documents. A motive for the attack, including whether it had
anything to do with Shapiro’s politics or religious beliefs, wasn’t
immediately clear.
Balmer's mother told The Associated Press on Monday that she had made
calls in recent days about his mental health issues, but “nobody would
help.” Christie Balmer said her son was not taking his medicine.
However, in court, Balmer politely told a judge he did not suffer from
any mental illness.
Fire caused significant damage and forced an evacuation
The fire caused significant damage and forced Shapiro, his family and
guests, including other relatives, to evacuate the building early
Sunday. The residence, built in 1968, did not have sprinklers, and the
damage could be in the millions of dollars, Harrisburg Fire Chief Brian
Enterline said.
Shapiro said he, his wife, their four children, two dogs and another
family had celebrated the Jewish holiday of Passover in the same room
Saturday night along with members of Harrisburg’s Jewish community. They
were awakened by state troopers pounding on their doors at about 2 a.m.
Sunday. They fled and firefighters extinguished the fire, officials
said. No one was injured.
Balmer had walked an hour from his home to the governor's residence, and
during a police interview “admitted to harboring hatred towards Governor
Shapiro,” according to a police affidavit that did not expand on that
point. Afterward, he returned home, where police said they later found
clothing he wore at the time and a small sledgehammer.
Balmer turned himself in at state police headquarters after confessing
to his former partner and asking her to call police, which she did, the
affidavit said. Authorities did not say whether he has a lawyer.
Man charged in fire had been due in court this week
Balmer, who said he was an unemployed welder with no income or savings,
had been due in court later this week in an assault case in which he was
accused of punching two relatives and stepping on a child’s already
broken leg in 2023. In court Monday, he told the judge he did not have
any drug or alcohol problems, but acknowledged missing a few court dates
in the past.
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Cody Balmer is taken from a courtroom Monday, April 14, 2025, in
Harrisburg, Pa., after being denied bail for charges he broke into
the governor's residence and started a fire that did extensive
damage. (AP Photo/Mark Scolforo)
Hours after the fire, an emotional Shapiro, who is viewed as a
potential White House contender for the Democratic Party in 2028,
said the intruder could not deter him from doing his job or
observing his faith.
“I refuse to be trapped by the bondage that someone attempts to put
on me by attacking us as they did here last night," Shapiro said
Sunday. "I refuse to let anyone who had evil intentions like that
stop me from doing the work that I love.”
The attack appeared to be carefully planned, police say
Balmer, who is registered as an unaffiliated voter, appeared to have
carefully planned the attack, police said. He was inside the
residence for about a minute before he escaped and was later
arrested in the area, Pennsylvania State Police Lt. Col. George
Bivens said.
He hopped over a nearly 7-foot-high (2-meter-high) iron security
fence surrounding the property, eluded officers who became aware of
the breach and forcibly entered the residence before setting it on
fire, authorities said. He used beer bottles filled with gasoline to
make Molotov cocktails, documents say.
Balmer has faced criminal charges over the past decade including
simple assault, theft and forgery, according to online court
records. He also had financial problems in recent years, including a
lender filing for foreclosure on a modest Harrisburg house he owned
in 2022 over missed mortgage payments, court records show. A deed
transfer shows Balmer sold the house for $60,000 last September to
settle the debt.
He is the father of at least three children, with two women filing
court complaints seeking child custody agreements in 2012 and 2023.
The fire badly damaged the large room that is often used for
entertaining crowds and for art displays. Large west- and
south-facing windows were missing their glass panes and shattered
glass littered pathways. A charred piano, tables, walls, metal
buffet serving dishes and more could be seen through broken windows
and fire-blackened doors.
___
Associated Press reporters Michael Biesecker and Michelle Price in
Washington and Maryclaire Dale in Philadelphia contributed to this
report.
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