Pennsylvania Governor’s Mansion was targeted by an arson attack during the Easter season this year in April. The suspect, Cody Balmer, pleaded guilty on Tuesday, October 14th, to multiple charges including attempted murder of Governor Josh Shapiro.
In the early hours of April 13th, the 38-year-old Balmer eluded the police, climbed over the fence of the governor’s residence, and set fire using a beer bottle filled with gasoline. He confessed to charges of terrorism, 22 counts of arson, and aggravated arson, among others. As part of the plea agreement, Balmer was sentenced to serve 25 to 50 years in prison.
Governor Shapiro, accompanied by his wife Lori, held a press conference after the sentencing, expressing their support for the plea agreement. Shapiro admitted that the attack had a profound impact on him personally and his family.
Shapiro somberly stated, “Learning that someone wanted to kill me, especially disturbing was his attempt to burn our entire family while we slept.”
He further mentioned that for the past six months, he had been carrying a “tremendous sense of guilt.”
“I love this job so much, yet it put our children’s lives in danger,” he explained.
Shapiro is of Jewish descent. Prior to the attack, he and his family, along with guests, had just hosted a Passover Seder feast. Apart from his family, there were 15 overnight guests (including children) and two state troopers in the governor’s mansion at the time.
Shapiro revealed that his children asked him why someone would intrude into what they thought was the “safest place” – their home.
The footage played in court by prosecutors was chilling: Balmer was seen setting fires with Molotov cocktails. Investigators discovered two beer bottles with gasoline remnants inside at the scene after the incident.
Prosecutors disclosed that Balmer had attempted to break open the door leading to Shapiro’s bedroom but was unsuccessful. Balmer informed the authorities that if he encountered the governor, he planned to strike him with a small hammer.
The fire caused millions of dollars in damages to the Governor’s Mansion, built in 1968 and lacking a sprinkler system. Lawyers and relatives revealed that Balmer stopped taking medication for bipolar disorder, which led to his delusional actions.
Shapiro warned that political violence is hindering talented individuals from running for public office, and this should never be normalized.