The person accused of torching the Pennsylvania government mansion stated he carried out the arson assault as a result of he was annoyed by Gov. Josh Shapiro’s stance on the battle in Gaza, in response to newly launched search warrants.
The suspect, Cody Balmer, known as 911 within the early hours of Sunday morning, lower than an hour after he allegedly firebombed Shapiro’s official residence in Harrisburg. He recognized himself by identify, after which he instructed dispatchers that Shapiro “needs to know that he will not take part in his plans for what he wants to do to the Palestinian people,” per paperwork obtained by PennLive.
Balmer continued, saying that governor, who’s Jewish, “needs to stop having my friends killed,” additional noting that “our people have been put through too much by that monster.”
“You all know where to find me,” he allegedly stated earlier than hanging up. “I’m not hiding, and I will confess to everything that I had done.”
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro speaks throughout a press convention outdoors of the Governor’s Mansion after a portion of the property was broken in an arson hearth on April 13, 2025 in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. (Matthew Hatcher/Getty Pictures)
Investigators additionally famous that Balmer’s “intonation and cadence” appeared like he was “possibly reading from a script” through the emergency name.
The alleged arson assault got here hours after Shapiro hosted a Seder dinner on Saturday and bid his social media followers a “happy Passover.” The blaze was reported on Sunday round 2 a.m., and everybody inside was safely evacuated.
Balmer, who had been handled for psychological sickness previously, turned himself later the identical day, and he was charged with tried murder, terrorism, aggravated arson, aggravated assault and different offenses. In a subsequent interview with investigators, he allegedly admitted to “harboring hatred” towards the Pennsylvania governor and stated he would have crushed him with a hammer in the event that they crossed paths.
Cody Balmer is escorted from court docket after his arraignment Monday in Harrisburg, Pa. (Dan Gleiter/The Patriot-Information by way of AP)
Authorities, in flip, obtained a number of warrants referring to the fiery assault, together with for Balmer’s storage unit, digital units and fogeys’ dwelling, the place he’d not too long ago been residing.
Legal professional Basic Pam Bondi on Wednesday condemned the assault in Pennsylvania, calling it “absolutely horrific.” She stopped brief, nevertheless, of labeling it home terrorism, as she has for the wave of assaults carried out on Teslas and dealerships nationwide.
“I’ve known the governor many, many years,” she stated. “It is horrible, and yes, we are working with state authorities to do — it’s now a pending investigation — anything we can to help convict the person that did this and keep them behind bars as long as possible.”
Whereas authorities haven’t commented on a possible motive, the search warrants recommend the suspect’s trade with dispatchers and police “demonstrates Balmer’s political motivation for his conduct.”
