HERSHEY, Pa. (AP/ KYW Newsradio) — The man accused of firebombing Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro’s official residence in Harrisburg was motivated by what he claims were the governor’s plans for “what he wants to do to the Palestinian people,” according to a search warrant released Wednesday.
It says 38-year-old Cody Balmer’s motive was likely “based upon perceived injustices to the people of Palestine,” as well as Shapiro’s Jewish faith.
Balmer’s one-time girlfriend called Pennsylvania State Police early Sunday, identifying him, at his request, as the man who started the fire at the governor’s mansion. About an hour after the arson attack, troopers said Balmer called 911 and told a dispatcher he was upset about Shapiro’s plans for the Palestinian people, at one point saying, “Our people have been through too much by that monster.”
He also told the dispatcher, “You all know where to find me. I’m not hiding, and I will confess to everything that I had done.”
The Dauphin County district attorney said he has not decided whether to charge Balmer under Pennsylvania’s hate crime law.
The attack happened after the governor held a seder to celebrate the first night of Passover.
The Jewish Federation of Greater Harrisburg said, “No matter the motivation behind this crime, an attack on a Jewish public figure on the first night of Passover is felt as an attack on the Jewish community as a whole.”
Shapiro declined to talk about a motive on Wednesday, saying prosecutors will ultimately determine what prompted the attack. “It’s not for me to answer that,” he said.
Independent security review
An independent expert will review security at the governor’s residence, state police said Wednesday.
Officials said the review will be a risk and vulnerability assessment of the governor’s official residence following the arson attack, which caused extensive damage and forced Shapiro and his family to flee early Sunday morning.
Shapiro said the outside security review is warranted and that steps will be taken to strengthen security.
“I have total faith in the members of my detail and total faith in the state police who have both learned from this incident,” he said.
History of mental illness
Balmer’s family said he has struggled with mental illness, saying he accused his sister-in-law of being a witch, and, in 2023, he was charged with attacking relatives after they accused him of stepping on a child’s broken leg.
In court on Monday, Balmer denied having any mental illness and described himself as an unemployed welder with no income or savings. A judge denied bail and ordered him held on charges including attempted homicide, terrorism and arson. He did not enter a plea.
Balmer told police he planned to beat Shapiro with a small sledgehammer if he encountered him after breaking into the building, according to court documents filed in this latest case of violence against political figures in the U.S.
Attorney General Pam Bondi said Wednesday that she had spoken to Shapiro. She described the arson as “absolutely horrific” and said she believes the alleged culprit “wanted to kill him.”
Federal authorities are working with state law enforcement and doing “anything we can to help convict the person who did this,” she added.
Balmer had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder but didn’t believe the assessment, his brother, Dan Balmer, told The Associated Press. He said he twice helped Cody get treatment at the Pennsylvania Psychiatric Institute.
Dan Balmer said his brother had displayed concerning behavior, including the night before the fire, when he flipped over a table at the home where Cody Balmer lived with their parents.
Balmer appeared to have carefully planned the attack and was inside the residence for about a minute before escaping, police said.
A search warrant says he scaled a nearly 7-foot-high security fence, eluded police, smashed a window with a hammer and tossed a lit beer bottle filled with gasoline into the piano room. Then, he broke a second window, climbed inside the state dining room and lit a second Molotov cocktail before kicking open a door and fleeing, the warrant says.
The fire caused significant damage. The residence, built in 1968, did not have sprinklers, and the damage could be in the millions of dollars, Harrisburg Fire Chief Brian Enterline said.
Shapiro said he, his wife, their four children and another family had celebrated the Jewish holiday of Passover on Saturday night in the same room. They were awakened by state troopers pounding on their doors at about 2 a.m. Firefighters extinguished the fire and no one was injured.
Balmer said he had walked for an hour to reach the governor’s residence, and during a police interview he “admitted to harboring hatred towards Governor Shapiro,” according to a police affidavit.