Arson at PA Governor's Mansion With Family Sleeping Inside

[JFKjr]

Not sure how they evaded security, but there's a suspect in custody.

 

Fire At PA Governor's Mansion Overnight

[Beast]

They need to send that person away forever. Freaking awful.

[B-Man]

 

 

GOOD !

 

Suspect arrested in arson attack on Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro’s residence as family slept inside. 

 

Pennsylvania State Police have arrested a Harrisburg man for the arson attack on Gov. Josh Shapiro and his family that sent them fleeing from the governor’s residence on the first night of Passover.

 

Cody Balmer, 38, of Harrisburg, is expected to face charges of attempted murder, terrorism, aggravated arson, and aggravated assault against an enumerated person, authorities said.

 

Shapiro, who is Jewish, became visibly emotional as he spoke about the 2 a.m. attack on his home as he and his family slept inside.

 

“Investigators believe the attack was ‘targeted,’ but haven’t determined a specific motive.”

 

https://nypost.com/2025/04/13/us-news/pennsylvania-gov-josh-shapiro-arson-suspect-arrested/

 

 

 

 

 

 

[B-Man]

 

 

 

Cody Balmer has been arrested for the arson at the Pennsylvania Governor Mansion

while Josh Shapiro and his family were sleeping.

 

Before I continue, stop being so desperate to blame Republicans or Democrats.

 

Cody was neither MAGA nor a leftist as of 2023.

 

I went through his FB timeline back to to 2018. He stopped posting publicly in 2023,

so he might have been radicalized between then and now.

 

He showed clear signs of depression and anger issues. He respected the

black community. At some point, he developed a distain for women.

 

He supported Yang at one point, but a lot of people did.

 

He's an unaffiliated voter. If anything, it appears he may have had some Libertarian views.

 

What he did was horrific, and he is the one to blame.

 

 

 

Poor kids.

 

 

[Trump_is_Mentally_fit]

Awful, just awful 

[LeviF]

8 hours ago, B-Man said:

 

 

 

 

If I were to draw and post a cartoon version of this dude I could be arrested in several Europoor countries.

[All_Pro_Bills]

47 minutes ago, LeviF said:

 

If I were to draw and post a cartoon version of this dude I could be arrested in several Europoor countries.

Those Islamic sharia law countries like the UK and France don't like you making fun of people.

[B-Man]

 

 

 

At the time of the press conference Balmer had already been apprehended, taken into custody, and confessed to his acts.

 

Pennsylvania law enforcement authorities have posted a press release on the resulting charges here. The underlying probable cause affidavit is posted here. CNN has a good summary here.

 

According to the affidavit, Balmer admitted to “harboring hatred toward Governor Shapiro.” He told police that he walked for about an hour from his home to the governor’s residence with he aim of throwing homemade Molotov cocktails inside. If he had found Shapiro, he said, he would have attacked him with the hammer he used to break into the residence. He was a man with a plan.

 

I trust the authorities will get a handle on the source of Balmer’s hatred of Shapiro. Until they do, or until other evidence emerges, I think tact is the better part of wisdom.

 

https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2025/04/the-attack-on-josh-shapiro.php

 

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[BillsFanNC]

 

[nedboy7]

2 hours ago, BillsFanNC said:

 

 

Left wing socialist that has a disdain for democrats?  Bonchie?  

[stevestojan]

2 hours ago, BillsFanNC said:

 

Why can’t more people be like @B-Man  

 

“Before I continue, stop being so desperate to blame Republicans or Democrats.” 
 

Wow. Imagine. PPP could be a place for political discussion. 

 

But you couldn’t help yourself, and you have no interest in conversation. And, gramps, the governor is a dem. But you knew that. You’re truly just a MAGA troll, huh? I honestly thought it was schtick. 

Edited Tuesday at 02:44 AM by stevestojan

[BillsFanNC]

Stop calling them commies!

 

 

 

[Big Blitz]

 

 

[Doc]

Now being reported that he targeted Shapiro "for what he wants to do to the Palestinian people."

[Big Blitz]

5 minutes ago, Doc said:

Now being reported that he targeted Shapiro "for what he wants to do to the Palestinian people."

 

Suspected this as soon as I heard it.  
 

But by all means Ds - keep fighting the good fight for Harvard and Columbia 

[Orlando Buffalo]

I am actually curious who was on his protection that this guy was able to get over the fence and into the house before being caught. I thought a governor would have 5+ security guys at all times, but maybe that is only for public events. Regardless of the guys reasons all governors have people who want to harm them so security is important.

[B-Man]

 

 

Antisemitism.

 

 

 

 

A familiar motive

By Scott Johnson

 

Jewish Insider returns to the story of Cody Balmer’s arson and attempted murder of Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro in its Daily Roundup. JI links to PennLive’s story on the familiar motive that may have driven Balmer’s attack. Based on one of the search warrants executed in the case, Juliette Rihl reports:

 

The suspect in the arson attack at the Governor’s Residence targeted Josh Shapiro due to his perceived stance on Palestine, according to a search warrant obtained by PennLive.

The suspect, Cody Balmer, called 911 following the attack early Sunday, identified himself by name and told operators Shapiro needs to know he “…will not take part in his plans for what he wants to do to the Palestinian people,” the search warrant written by police said.

Balmer continued, saying he needed to “stop having my friends killed” and that “…our people have been put through too much by that monster,” according to the warrant, which says Balmer’s intonation and cadence sounded like he was possibly reading from a script.

 

Rihl has more on the motive a few paragraphs down in the story:

 

In the warrant for his devices signed Tuesday, Corporal Benjamin Forsythe of the Pennsylvania State Police says Balmer targeted Shapiro “based upon perceived injustices to the people of Palestine,” as well as Shapiro’s Jewish faith, though the warrant does not elaborate on why Shapiro’s faith is believed to have been a motive.

 

Immediately after the attack I expressed the thought that the authorities would get a handle on the source of Balmer’s hatred of Shapiro and the evidence would emerge. Until that time, I thought tact was the better part of wisdom. In retrospect, I think Shapiro must have been briefed on the substance of the affidavit before he made his statement this past Sunday afternoon

 

https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2025/04/a-familiar-motive.php

 

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[Big Blitz]

 

[JFKjr]

He was going to hit the governor with a hammer.

 

Shades of the Pelosi Affair!

[wnyguy]

Very scary incident, that place sure looks like it burned pretty fast. Thank God he and his family were not physically hurt but I suspect this has to be mentally scarring for his family.