38-year-old Suspect Arrested for Allegedly Setting Fire to Pennsylvania Governor’s Mansion

The authorities in Pennsylvania held a press conference on Sunday (April 13) announcing that a 38-year-old man is suspected of setting fire to the official residence of the Governor of the state, Josh Shapiro. The suspect, Cody Balmer, a resident of Harrisburg, allegedly trespassed onto the Governor’s mansion and set it ablaze. He has been detained and will face charges of attempted murder and arson.

Pennsylvania police officials revealed during the press conference at the Governor’s mansion in Harrisburg that Balmer carried a homemade incendiary device, breached the fence surrounding the mansion, evaded state troopers, set the fire, and fled the scene. He was apprehended shortly before the press conference.

Around 2:00 am on Sunday, Pennsylvania police knocked on Shapiro’s and his family’s bedroom door, evacuated them, and informed that the local firefighters had extinguished the blaze. Thankfully, no injuries were reported, but evidence of fire damage could be seen in certain parts of the building.

Shapiro, a Democrat and a potential candidate for the party’s 2028 presidential primary, stated during the press conference that FBI Director Kash Patel had assured him of deploying “all federal resources” to investigate the attack.

According to Shapiro, on Saturday evening, he had posted a picture of his family’s “Passover Seder” on social media as they were celebrating the first night of the Jewish holiday of Passover. A few hours later, his residence was targeted in the arson attack.

The Governor emphasized on Sunday that someone sought to constrain him by attacking his family, as done the previous night, but he refused to be bound by such tactics. He vowed to continue fearlessly serving the people of Pennsylvania.

Shapiro added that his family still plans to hold a second Passover Seder on Sunday evening.

When asked whether the attack could have been motivated by hate, Shapiro indicated his respect for the investigation findings of federal authorities and the Pennsylvania district attorney’s office.

Pennsylvania State Police Commissioner Christopher Paris stated that a comprehensive review of security measures and the timeline of events will be conducted.

(This article is based on Reuters reports)