A 38-year-old man from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Cody Balmer, was arrested and charged with attempted murder and arson after allegedly setting Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro's house on fire. He and his family were sleeping at the time.
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According to the New York Post, the incident occurred around 2 a.m. on Sunday, April 13, the first night of Passover. Documents obtained by the outlet detailed that, after pouring gasoline into two Heineken bottles, Balmer walked for an hour and reached Shapiro's home. Upon arrival, Balmer allegedly broke two windows with a hammer and tossed the Molotov cocktails inside Shapiro's home. The bottles were located by authorities.
Governor Josh Shapiro had just had guests at his home, celebrating Passover, and he and his family were sleeping at the time of the alleged attack, as per Pennsylvania police. A criminal complaint detailed, as per the outlet, that Balmer felt hate toward Shapiro. Furthermore, he allegedly admitted to police that, if given the chance, he would have used a hammer to beat Shapiro.
Cody Balmer was charged with attempted homicide, aggravated arson, terrorism, burglary, and aggravated assault. Reportedly, Balmer pleaded guilty to forgery and theft by deception charges back in 2016 in an unrelated case.
Shapiro Addresses The Incident
Visibly emotional, Governor Josh Shapiro spoke after the fire that nearly burned him and his family alive on the first night of Passover.
"If he was trying to terrorize our family, our friends, the Jewish community, who joined us for a Passover Seder in that room last night, hear me on this," Shapiro said. "We celebrated our faith last night, proudly, and in a few hours, we will celebrate our second Seder of Passover."
On X, Shapiro commended the actions of Pennsylvania law enforcement and first responders who aided his family during this terrible incident.
"Every day, we stand with the law enforcement and first responders who run towards danger to protect our communities," Shapiro wrote. "Last night, they did so for our family - and Lori and I are eternally grateful to them for keeping us safe."
Finally, Shapiro thanked all the "prayers and the messages of support" he and his family have received following the incident. "I want you all to know that your prayers lift us up, and in this moment of darkness, we are choosing to see light," Shapiro added. "We appreciate the light that you have shined upon us."
