Additional Coverage:
Man Sentenced to Decades for Arson Attack on Governor’s Residence
Harrisburg, PA – The individual responsible for the April arson at Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro’s residence has been sentenced to 25 to 50 years in state prison after pleading guilty to a range of charges, including attempted murder and aggravated arson.
Cody A. Balmer, 38, entered a guilty plea to attempted murder, aggravated arson, 22 counts of arson, burglary, and other offenses, as confirmed by the Dauphin County District Attorney’s Office. This plea agreement led to Tuesday’s sentencing.
Prosecutors detailed how Balmer allegedly broke into the Governor’s Residence in Harrisburg on April 13, the second day of Passover, and set it ablaze. Governor Shapiro, who is Jewish, had hosted a Passover Seder at the residence the night prior to the attack.
Security footage released by the district attorney’s office reportedly shows Balmer scaling the property’s fence, approaching the home, and breaking a window with a sledgehammer. He then allegedly threw a Molotov cocktail inside, igniting a fire.
The video further suggests Balmer broke a second window and entered the home, where he attempted to force open two doors, one leading to the governor’s family and guests. Before leaving, Balmer is said to have deployed a second Molotov cocktail in the dining area, causing another fire.
Officials stated that the residence sustained “substantial damage.”
At the time of the attack, Governor Shapiro, First Lady Lori Shapiro, three of their children, 15 overnight guests (including other family members), and two Pennsylvania State Police troopers were inside the home. All occupants were safely evacuated.
During a news conference at the Pennsylvania State Capitol Complex on Tuesday, Governor Shapiro, alongside his wife, expressed the profound impact of the incident. “It’s hard for me to stand before you today and utter the words ‘attempted murder’ when it’s your own life, to know that someone tried to kill me,” Shapiro stated. He added that he has “struggled over the last six months to try and make sense of all of this” and to explain it to his children.
“I’ve carried with me this enormous sense of guilt,” Shapiro continued, “Guilt that doing this job that I love so much has put our children’s lives at risk.”
Approximately 12 hours after the April attack, Balmer surrendered to the Pennsylvania State Police, admitting to “harboring hatred toward Governor Shapiro.” The probable cause affidavit indicates that Balmer, when asked during a police interview what he would have done if he had encountered Governor Shapiro, stated he would have beaten him with his hammer.
The Dauphin County District Attorney’s Office reported that Balmer suggested his actions were driven by his displeasure with Governor Shapiro’s stance on the conflict in Gaza. Governor Shapiro had previously condemned the rise of antisemitism in the U.S. following the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks, particularly in relation to some pro-Palestinian protests.
The attack garnered widespread condemnation from politicians across the political spectrum, highlighting a disturbing trend of political violence in the United States. Governor Shapiro concluded his remarks on Tuesday by urging Americans not to become “numb” to such acts.
“Before this attack, those risks just felt very theoretical to me, something that might happen elsewhere to someone else, but couldn’t happen here,” Shapiro said. “Sadly, this made it all real.”