Suspect in arson attack at Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro's home denied bail
The man charged in the shocking April 13 arson attack on the home of Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro who told police he was "harboring hatred" for the public official was denied bail.
Cody Balmer, 38, faced multiple charges in connection with the April 13 attack, including attempted murder, aggravated arson, burglary and terrorism, among other charges, according to Dauphin County District Attorney Francis Chardo.
Dauphin County Magisterial District Judge Dale Klein denied bail for Balmer, saying she appreciated that he reportedly turned himself in to authorities. But she said she’d decided to deny bail to protect the community and Balmer himself. He did not enter a plea.
During the hearing, he said he’d been living at his parents’ home for the past year. He said he’s not currently employed but had most recently worked as a welder. Balmer — dressed in a beige, long-sleeved shirt, baggy jeans and black, high-top sneakers — told the judge he does not having any income or savings.
Balmer is due back in court April 23 for a preliminary hearing.
He told Klein he doesn’t have a history of drug or alcohol abuse. When she asked if he has mental health concerns, he said “that’s the rumor,” but denied having any such diagnoses.
Balmer said he graduated from high school but did not attend college. He told the judge he was “uncertain” of his probationary status, noting that he had charges pending in another case.
Before the hearing began, he waited quietly with his hands folded in his lap, sighing deeply several times. Balmer arrived at the Harrisburg courtroom handcuffed and shackled. He remained silent as reporters asked him why he hated the governor. He only stuck his tongue out at the surrounding media.
He told police earlier he would have hit the governor with a hammer had he encountered him in the residence, court documents say.
After turning himself in, Balmer was being treated at a hospital following "a medical event not connected" to the attack or his arrest, according to Pennsylvania State Police.
No one was injured in the attack, but there was extensive damage to the governor's mansion in Harrisburg. Images released by state officials show a dining area charred by the flames. Multiple broken windows and light fixtures, furniture and interior walls were scorched.
Shapiro, who hosted a Passover dinner hours earlier, safely evacuated the home with his wife, Lori, their four children and another family.
"Last night at the Governor’s Residence, we experienced an attack not just on our family, but on the entire Commonwealth of Pennsylvania," Shapiro said in a statement on X. "This kind of violence has become far too common in our society, and it has to stop."
Who is Josh Shapiro?
Shapiro is Pennsylvania's third Jewish governor. He is staunchly pro-Israel and has drawn criticism from pro-Palestinian groups for that support since the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on southern Israel and the Israeli army's ongoing assault on Gaza.
He is one of the most well-known Democratic governors in the country — and has fielded questions about a future run for president — after reports that he was on the short list to run as Kamala Harris' vice president in the 2024 election.
Hours before the arson, Shapiro and his family were celebrating the start of Passover, a Jewish holiday that commemorates the Jewish Exodus from Egypt.
Suspect's mother says son has mental health challenges
Balmer's mother told several news outlets that her son struggles with his mental health and that she had recently tried to get him assistance.
“He wasn’t taking his medicine, and that’s all I want to say,” Christie Balmer told the Associated Press from the family home in Harrisburg.
CBS News quoted Balmer's mother as saying her son "was mentally ill" and "went off his meds."
Who is Cody Balmer? Arson suspect has limited criminal history
Balmer, who described himself as a certified master mechanic on social media, has previously been charged with assault and forgery, as well as several traffic violations in Pennsylvania. He received 18 months of probation for the forgery charge and has a pending assault charge for which he was scheduled to appear in court this week.
In June 2023, Balmer and a woman split and filed a custody suit in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania. Balmer took primary custody of a 5- and 2-year-old, according to court documents. The woman did not immediately return messages seeking comment on April 14.
Online records show that his Canby Street home was in foreclosure last year and sold in September for $60,000.
Balmer's social media
Several posts on Balmer's Facebook page appear to mock former President Joe Biden, including a 2021 meme that said, "Joe Biden owes me 2 grand," and "RIP Joe Biden... Whoops that's in may, #Notmypresidenteither."
But Balmer does not appear to be a Trump supporter either. In a March 2021 response to a meme he posted about gas prices, Balmer wrote: "Buck 85, but I said the same (expletive) when Trump took office. I don't play favorites especially since they all suck."
Online records show Balmer is registered as an active voter but did not declare a political party; he last voted in the 2022 General Election.
Among his 2022 posts are memes that read, "Hey Friend I know the world is scary right now, but it's gonna get way worse," "And knowing is half the battle. The other half is extreme violence." Another meme shows a needlepoint of a Molotov cocktail that read, "Be the Light You Want to see in the World."
Firefighters and responders describe 'surreal scene'
During a news conference on April 14, Harrisburg Fire Chief Brian Enterline described the scene firefighters encountered in responding to the fire at the governor's residence as "surreal."
"It was a very surreal scene when I got there 15 minutes into it, seeing fire coming from the governor's mansion," he said.
Firefighters had to cut some gates and force entry into the mansion to reach the fire. The blaze accelerated quickly because of the Molotov cocktails, Enterline said. Firefighters brought the fire under control in about 30 minutes.
"Luckily for the governor and his family, there were doors closed between that main portion of the ballroom and the hallway that leads to the main and master staircase going to the second floor," he said. "It would have been a totally different fire and a totally different outcome, most likely, had that door not been closed."
The fire was reported from the mansion to Dauphin County 911. The residence, built in 1968, does not have a fire sprinkler system. Enterline said he hopes a fully functional, operating fire suppression system will be included in the remodeling of the building.
Shapiro thanks first responders, investigators after suspect charged
In a statement on X, Shapiro said his family "witnessed the incredible bravery and excellence of our first responders."
"The entire Shapiro family is eternally grateful for the @PAStatePolice troopers who safely evacuated our family from danger, the firefighters who quickly put out the fire at the Governor’s Residence, and the law enforcement officials who’ve worked to investigate this attack," he said. "From the bottom of all of our hearts, thank you."
Trump calls suspect 'a whack job'; other officials express relief
President Donald Trump said he wasn't aware yet of any motive in the attack but told reporters the suspect "was probably just a whack job" during a meeting Monday with the president of El Salvador in the Oval Office.
"Certainly a thing like that can not be allowed to happen," Trump said.
Earlier in the day, Trump told reporters: "I just heard about it... I have to look into it."
Members of Trump's administration expressed relief that Shapiro and his family weren't harmed in a suspected arson attack on their home.
"Really disgusting violence, and I hope whoever did it is brought swiftly to justice," Vice President JD Vance posted on social media, adding that he is thankful Shapiro and his family are safe.
Attorney General Pam Bondi said she is "deeply relieved" the Shapiros are unharmed. "Thankful for the first responders who arrived on the scene, and applaud the police work that resulted in an arrest just hours ago," Bondi said.
What happened at Gov. Josh Shapiro's home?
Shapiro said he and his family "woke up to bangs on the door from the Pennsylvania State Police" after an arsonist set fire to the governor’s residence in Harrisburg around 2 a.m. on April 13. The governor's family, as well as another family in the house, were safely evacuated from the residence by state troopers.
Prosecutors say video footage shows the suspect "surveilling the residence" before he scaled a fence and approached the piano room on the south side of the governor's home. The suspect could be seen smashing in a window with a hammer and throwing a Molotov cocktail into the room, immediately sparking flames, according to an arrest affidavit.
Wearing a Snap-on jacket, black boots and carrying a bag, the suspect then smashed in a nearby window and entered the mansion, the affidavit says. Once inside, he threw two additional Molotov cocktails in a dining area before fleeing the residence, scaling the fence and running away, records say.
Suspect's ex called police; prosecutors say he admits to attack
After the attack, Harrisburg police were contacted by a woman who said her ex-partner, Balmer, was the perpetrator, according to the affidavit. She told police Balmer had "confessed to the act and wanted her to call police to turn him in."
A short while later, Balmer himself approached a trooper outside Pennsylvania State Police headquarters and said he wished to turn himself in for the attack at the governor's mansion. During an interview, he told investigators he had filled Heineken beer bottles with gasoline from a lawn mower and intentionally threw them into the governor's home.
When asked what he would have done if he encountered Shapiro in the home, Balmer told investigators "he would have beaten him with his hammer," the affidavit says.
Balmer told investigators he was "harboring hatred" toward Shapiro, but no details on a possible motivation were described in court documents.
During a search of Balmer's residence in Penbrook Borough, Dauphin County, investigators found the Snap-on jacket seen on surveillance footage at Shapiro's home as well as "a bag containing a gasoline container," the affidavit says.
FBI in contact with state authorities on attack
Shapiro said he was in contact with FBI Director Kash Patel, who “promised all of the resources of the federal government.”
The FBI’s Philadelphia field office was also in touch with State Police, according to Pennsylvania State Police Commissioner Col. Christopher Paris.
Shapiro, on April 13 said he was not fearful but concerned for his family. He would not say whether he considered the incident a hate crime, saying he would leave that determination to investigators.
“Last night, we experienced an attack, not just on our family, but on the entire Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, here at the governor's residence,” Shapiro said at a news conference.
Fire in Pennsylvania latest act of recent political violence
This weekend's arson attack is one in a string of politically charged violent moments in recent years.
On July 13, Trump, running for a second term, was on stage for less than 10 minutes in front of a crowd in Butler, Pennsylvania, when gunshots rang out. A bullet clipped Trump's ear, and Secret Service agents rushed him off the stage. A spectator, Corey Comperatore, was killed.
Two months later, Trump faced a second alleged assassination attempt, this time while golfing at his course in West Palm Beach, Florida.
A flood of threats against Supreme Court justices followed a leaked draft of the opinion that overturned Roe v. Wade, the landmark abortion decision, in June 2022. A California man who had allegedly made threats against Justice Brett Kavanaugh was arrested that summer outside his Washington, D.C.-area home, armed with a knife and gun.
In October 2022, a hammer-wielding attacker broke into the San Francisco home of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and assaulted her husband, Paul Pelosi. David DePape, the 42-year-old assailant, called out "Where is Nancy?" upon entering the bedroom, according to reports at the time. DePape attacked Paul Pelosi, leaving him with a skull fracture and serious hand injury.
The Capitol Police Department has logged a steadily increasing number of "concerning statements and direct threats" toward lawmakers over the past decade, jumping from almost 4,000 in 2017 to 9,474 in 2024.
Contributing: Jo Ciavaglia and Teresa Boeckel, Bucks County Courier Times; Thao Nguyen, Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy, Savannah Kuchar, Phaedra Trethan and Amaris Encinas, USA TODAY