Arson suspect told police he planned to beat Gov. Josh Shapiro with a hammer if seen in mansion

HARRISBURG — A Harrisburg man walked an hour from his home with gasoline-filled beer bottles and a hammer before setting fire to Gov. Josh Shapiro’s official state residence early Sunday, then fled the scene and later turned himself in, authorities said.

The suspect, 38-year-old Cody Balmer, allegedly confessed during a police interview and said if he had confronted Shapiro inside the historic Susquehanna riverfront residence, he would have beaten the governor with the hammer, court records released Monday state.

Balmer was charged with attempted criminal homicide, arson, burglary, terrorism, and other offenses, according to the criminal complaint obtained by Spotlight PA. Court records state Balmer was fueled by “hatred” towards Shapiro, though it does not elaborate on the reason for those feelings.

>>READ MORE: Arson suspect who allegedly targeted Gov. Josh Shapiro is ‘mentally ill,’ mother says

The attack came during the Jewish holiday of Passover, just after Shapiro had held a Seder in his residence with family and guests.

Of the possibility that Balmer’s arson could have been a hate crime, Dauphin County District Attorney Fran Chardo told Spotlight PA, “It's something we’d look at — we’re not there yet. We haven’t made a determination, but we’re looking at that because of the timing.”

Balmer’s mother, Christie Balmer, told CBS News that her son “is mentally ill and he went off his medication.” A neighbor also told Spotlight PA that Cody Balmer suffers from mental health issues that recently escalated.

At Balmer’s arraignment in Dauphin County on Monday evening, Magisterial District Judge Dale Klein asked him if he had mental health issues and Balmer responded, “That’s the rumor, but no ma’am.”

Balmer also told Klein that he is not currently on medication, saying it had previously “led me to different types of behavior.”

Balmer was denied bail. His next court date is next week, April 23, in front of the same judge, at which he will enter a plea. His attorney departed the arraignment without speaking to reporters.

Three Molotov cocktails, major damage

Shapiro was inside the governor’s mansion with his wife, Lori, and other guests when the attack occurred. All evacuated safely without injury.

According to the affidavit of probable cause, Balmer removed gasoline from a lawn mower and poured it into Heineken bottles he found at his home. He then walked an hour to the governor’s residence, where he scaled a perimeter fence, used a hammer to break a window, and threw the first of his homemade “Molotov cocktails” inside.

As flames engulfed a portion of the residence, the affidavit states, Balmer broke another window, entered the stately home, and threw two more Molotov cocktails, starting two more fires. He then kicked a door open and fled, again scaling the perimeter fence and running away. Police found two gloves Balmer wore stashed in a trash can near the residence.

Later Sunday morning, a woman identified in records as an “ex-paramour” called State Police and told them Balmer had confessed to her and asked her to call law enforcement to turn him in. A short time after that, Balmer showed up at State Police headquarters just outside Harrisburg, where he told a trooper he was responsible for the fire and wanted to turn himself in.

Balmer most recently faced criminal charges for allegedly assaulting his wife and children.

In 2023, Penbrook Police Department officer John Pesce responded to Balmer’s home following a call from a child who reported “his step father was beating his mother,” according to Pesce’s affidavit of probable cause.

Balmer’s wife accused him of biting her, hitting her in the face, and assaulting his 10- and 13-year-old children. Cody Balmer told the responding officer he took a “bottle full of pills in an attempt to kill himself,” according to the affidavit.

Police charged him with three counts of simple assault, and the case remains open.

Commonwealth Media Services

‘This type of violence is not OK’

In a news conference Sunday afternoon, a visibly shaken Shapiro said the attack was “targeted” but that police do not know “the person’s specific motive yet.”

But “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 … no one will deter me or my family or any Pennsylvanian from celebrating their faith openly and proudly,” he said.

A State Police official said a security review is underway to determine “how we can ensure that we don’t have a repeat of a situation like this.” Shapiro said he has “total confidence” in the State Police to keep him and his family safe.

“This type of violence is not OK,” Shapiro said outside the residence, where fire damage was visible. “This kind of violence is becoming far too common in our society, and I don't give a damn if it's coming from one particular side or the other … one particular party or another or one particular person or another, it is not OK. And it has to stop. We have to be better than this.”

Photos of the residence released by state officials show significant fire damage to the rooms inside, where walls and ceilings were charred and debris littered the floor.

The governor said he and Lori are “grateful” to law enforcement and first responders for keeping them safe. The Shapiros also have a home in Montgomery County.

“Your prayers lift us up,” Shapiro said. “We appreciate the light that you have shined upon us.”