PA - Harrisburg, Governor's Mansion hit by arson, Gov Josh Shapiro and family inside, 13 Apr 2025

  • #21
Extensive fire damage inside Pennsylvania Governor’s residence after arson attack overnight, seen here in a series of photos provided by @GovernorShapiro officers.

I'm not trying to be funny, but HOLY SMOKES. That must have been SOME fire to scorch the room like that. Wondering how the Gov's security detail did not see the arsonist, if said arsonist set the blaze and then fled (as opposed to, say, an arsonist just leaving an incendiary device [or remote ignition] on/near the premises at some earlier time and then just starting the fire at a time when it was highly likely the Governor and his family would be asleep).

I'm so relieved that Gov. Shapiro (and his wife and children) were awoken and safely evacuated, but it's galling to imagine how this incredibly vindictive personal attack on four innocent Pennsylvanians will probably get written off in some quarters as just "politics as usual."
 
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  • #22
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  • #24
Oh thank God the family was able to get out safely!

The pic posted by @sds71 is even worse than I’d imagined.

I was sure it was another act of anti-Semitism, but maybe it is really just some guy angry about losing his property due to nonpayment, and is blaming the governor.

Where oh where was his security?????????

Just my uncertain opinion.
 
  • #25
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  • #26
During Passover - how awful. Grateful for the speedy arrest. I found an assault arrest for the perp from 2023 but not much else.
 
  • #27
  • #28

Earlier picture of Balmer, pointing a gun at the camera.

Seems like a very scary guy, IMO.
Balmer's social media profile is littered with political commentary and criticism about American institutions.

The 38-year-old Harrisburg father had made chilling posts about former president Joe Biden and his supporters, arguing that they 'shouldn't exist' and even suggesting Biden was going to be killed.

'Biden supporters shouldn't exist,' he wrote in one post dated January 2021.

'RIP Joe Biden... whoops that's in May. #notmypresident,' another read, while another added that 'knowing is half the battle... the other half is extreme violence.'
 
  • #29
It may have been taken down due to traffic issues.
 
  • #30

In the photo, Balmer is relaxing on a couch with the gun covering half his face.

Balmer's social media profile is littered with political commentary and criticism about American institutions.

The 38-year-old Harrisburg father had made chilling posts about former president Joe Biden and his supporters, arguing that they 'shouldn't exist' and even suggesting Biden was going to be killed.

'Biden supporters shouldn't exist,' he wrote in one post dated January 2021.

'RIP Joe Biden... whoops that's in May. #notmypresident,' another read, while another added that 'knowing is half the battle... the other half is extreme violence.'
 
  • #31

Freeman added, "Pennsylvania State Police says the suspected Harrisburg arsonist jumped a fence at the Governor's Residence, evaded troopers onsite who were looking for him, and then broke into the residence and set fire to the building, before escaping back over a fence."
 
  • #32
Link to Cody Balmer's Facebook:

 
  • #33
In an interview with police after turning himself in, court documents claim Balmer agreed to speak to troopers after being advised of his Miranda rights and "admitted to harboring hatred towards Gov. Shapiro."

He told police he took gasoline from a lawn mower at his Harrisburg home and poured it into beer bottles at his residence before he walked about an hour to the Governor's Residence, court documents claim.

At the home, police said, Balmer told troopers he broke windows with a hammer he brought from home and threw the Molotov cocktails inside.

When asked if he knew Shapiro was present at the home with members of his family, and that they could be hurt in this incident, court documents claim Balmer told troopers that he was "aware this was a possibility."

"Balmer was asked specifically what he would have done if Governor Shapiro found him inside of his residence, to which he advised he would have beaten him with his hammer," court documents say.



 
  • #34
In an interview with police after turning himself in, court documents claim Balmer agreed to speak to troopers after being advised of his Miranda rights and "admitted to harboring hatred towards Gov. Shapiro."

He told police he took gasoline from a lawn mower at his Harrisburg home and poured it into beer bottles at his residence before he walked about an hour to the Governor's Residence, court documents claim.

At the home, police said, Balmer told troopers he broke windows with a hammer he brought from home and threw the Molotov cocktails inside.

When asked if he knew Shapiro was present at the home with members of his family, and that they could be hurt in this incident, court documents claim Balmer told troopers that he was "aware this was a possibility."

"Balmer was asked specifically what he would have done if Governor Shapiro found him inside of his residence, to which he advised he would have beaten him with his hammer," court documents say.



Reading this guy's account of what he did, is shocking as to how easy it was for him to do all of what he did before he was finally apprehended. I would say that security measures need to be updated and hardened immediately.
 
  • #35
Reading the articles, it now becomes clear how LE was able to identify this as arson so quickly, since the guy was running away from security. Terrifying that he was able to get into the gov's residence so easily.
 
  • #36
He made two Molotov cocktails from Heineken bottles he had at home, according to the criminal complaint. He threw them into the mansion after breaking a window with a hammer.

In court documents, authorities said Cody Balmer told them after he was taken into custody that he would have beaten Shapiro with a hammer if he had found him. Balmer had walked an hour from his home to the governor's residence, documents say.

Investigators said they recovered items at Balmer's home matching those used in the attack.
 
  • #37

Officials say security video captured Balmer, armed with a hammer, throwing an incendiary device into a broken window before going inside the home to deploy a second device.

Prior to Balmer turning himself in, court documents reveal his ex-girlfriend called police claiming that he admitted to setting the fire.
 
  • #38

Balmer’s arrest comes days before he is expected in court for a plea hearing in a separate case stemming from a 2023 simple assault charge, according to state court records. CNN has reached out to the attorney representing Balmer in that case.

In another case, Balmer pleaded guilty in 2016 to forgery and theft by deception charges, court documents show.
1000013080.webp
 
  • #39
This morning's news articles state that Gov Shapiro, his wife, and all 4 of his children were in the residence. (Two of his children are adults and it was initially unsure if they'd spent the night.) Also, a family he'd had as guests at the Passover Seder were also staying the night in the residence. That's gonna add up to quite a few attempted murder charges - at least 6 or 7. JMO.
 
  • #40
I hope he is incarcerated for the rest of his life.

He is a danger to all. Jmo
 

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