A 38-year-old man was arrested and charged with attempted murder and terrorism after allegedly setting fire to the Pennsylvania governor’s residence in Harrisburg around 2 a.m. ET on Sunday, forcing the evacuation of Gov. Josh Shapiro and his family.
Cody Balmer from Harrisburg faces eight charges, including aggravated assault, attempted murder, and aggravated arson, for the attack. The fire caused significant damage to several rooms in the residence, including the piano room and the dining room, where Balmer allegedly threw gasoline-filled incendiary devices.
Law enforcement recovered matching items from Balmer’s home and collected DNA evidence from a breached section of the fence. Balmer’s movements on the property were captured on security cameras.
Balmer later approached officers outside the Pennsylvania State Police headquarters to turn himself in, telling them he was responsible for the fire, Fox 43 reported.
Shapiro addressed the severity of the incident, stating, “This kind of violence is becoming far too common in our society. And I don’t give a damn if it’s coming from one particular side or the other, directed at one particular party or another, or one particular person or another, it is not OK, and it has to stop. We have to be better than this. We have a responsibility to all be better,” CBS News reported.
The suspect’s mother, Christie Balmer, told CBS News that her son is “mentally ill and he went off his medication.” She added that she had contacted four police departments last week but “couldn’t get anybody to help.”
Authorities are investigating various motives, including potential political grievances and whether Shapiro’s Jewish faith may have played a role in the attack. During questioning, Balmer allegedly told investigators he would have assaulted the governor with a hammer had he encountered him.
Balmer is currently hospitalized due to an unrelated medical event and awaits arraignment on the charges. The investigation continues as authorities work to understand the full scope of the planned attack and its implications for government security protocols.