The suspect in the arson attack on Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro’s residence said he targeted the Jewish politician over “what he wants to do to the Palestinian people,” according to documents.
The alleged firebug Cody Balmer called 911 following the Sunday attack, identified himself by name, and delivered the chilling message addressed to the governor over the phone, according to a search warrant obtained by PennLive.
Balmer, 38, said Shapiro, who was hosting Passover dinner just hours before the blaze, needed to know the governor “will not take part in his plans for what he wants to do to the Palestinian people,” the police warrant read, according to the outlet.
Cody Balmer is escorted by police officers from Dauphin County District Court after his arraignment on Monday, April 14, 2025 in Harrisburg, Pa.
James Keivom“You all know where to find me. I’m not hiding, and I will confess to everything that I had done,” Balmer allegedly told a 911 operator over the phone, according to the warrant.
State police said the accused arsonist targeted the Democratic governor “based upon perceived injustices to the people of Palestine” as well as his Jewish faith, the warrant states.
Balmer scaled a fence, used a hammer to break a window and hurled Molotov cocktails into the historic governor’s residence as Shapiro and his family slept around 2 a.m. Sunday, police said.
He allegedly told cops he made the Molotov cocktails out of Heineken bottles and gasoline from a lawn mower. The governor and his family were able to safely evacuate, but the homemade incendiary devices caused millions of dollars of damage to the state-owned mansion.
The sicko also allegedly said he would have beaten Shapiro with a hammer if he’d found him during the firebombing attack, according to a criminal complaint.
Pennsylvania State Police obtained warrants for Balmer’s parents’ home, where he was living, for electronic devices, and for a storage unit, according to PennLive.
Investigators did not find any references to Israel, Palestine, or the governor in the storage unit, according to the report.
Still, the alleged arsonist has had previous run-ins with the law.
Balmer was out on bail for a simple assault charge at the time of the attack — accused of stomping on his 10-year-old son’s broken leg and battering his estranged wife, according to a police report.
Family members attempted to have him committed to a mental institution in the days prior to the arson attack.
Mother Christie Balmer told CBS News that her son was “mentally ill and he went off his medication” prior to the firebombing.
The worried mother went so far as to reach out to Penbrook Borough Police two days before the attack to ask for help after her son had left their home and vanished.
Source: https://nypost.com/2025/04/15/us-news/suspected-arsonist-cody-balmer-targeted-pa-gov-josh-shapiros-home-over-what-pol-wants-to-do-to-palestinian-people/
