Arson attack probe at Pennsylvania governor’s mansion looking into suspect’s hatred of Josh Shapiro

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro pauses during a news conference at the governor's official residence discussing the alleged arson that forced him, his family and guests to flee in the middle of the night on the Jewish holiday of Passover, Sunday, Apr. 13, 2025, in Harrisburg, Pa. (AP Photo/Marc Levy)

HARRISBURG, Pa. — Authorities investigating why a man set fire to Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro’s official residence are probing whether the suspect was motivated by the Democrat’s Jewish faith or positions on Israel’s war in Gaza.

Police have said that Cody Balmer of Harrisburg harbored hatred toward Shapiro. Several search warrants released Wednesday offer the first details about a potential motive for the arson attack early Sunday in a room where only hours earlier Shapiro and his family celebrated Passover with members of the Jewish community.

Balmer called 911 less than an hour after the fire erupted, promised a confession and talked about Palestinians being killed, police wrote in search warrants.

Exactly what the man was trying to say and who he was referencing isn’t clear from the partial quotations included in the search warrants. Police quoted Balmer as saying “our people have been put through too much by that monster” and Shapiro “needs to know that he will not take part in his plans for what he wants to do to the Palestinian people.”

During a police interview after turning himself in, Balmer “admitted to harboring hatred towards Governor Shapiro,” according to a police affidavit that did not expand on that point. Police obtained search warrants for Balmer’s electronic devices and a storage locker seeking any writings or notes that contain “the name of Josh Shapiro (or a) reference to Palestine, Gaza, Israel or the current conflict in Gaza.”

Shapiro declined to talk about a motive (backslash)Wednesday, saying prosecutors will ultimately determine what prompted the attack. “It’s not for me to answer that,” he said.

The governor has been publicly critical of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government and the nature of Israel’s military action in Gaza, but also has backed the country’s right to defend itself from Hamas.

Balmer, 38, was diagnosed with bipolar disorder but did not believe the assessment, his brother, Dan Balmer, told The Associated Press. He said he twice helped Cody get treatment at the Pennsylvania Psychiatric Institute.

In court on Monday, Balmer denied having any mental illness and described himself as an unemployed welder with no income or savings. A judge denied bail and ordered him held on charges including attempted homicide, terrorism and arson. He did not enter a plea.

Dauphin County chief public defender Mary Klatt said in a statement that a preliminary hearing would be delayed “for the purpose of determining his competency to stand trial” and that Balmer will be represented by a team of attorneys “due to the complexity of this case.”

“The allegations, if true, demonstrate the devastating consequences of severe mental illness,” Klatt said.

Balmer told police he planned to beat Shapiro with a small sledgehammer if he encountered him after breaking into the building, according to court documents filed in this latest case of violence against political figures in the U.S.

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said she spoke with Shapiro. She described the arson as “absolutely horrific” and said she believes the alleged culprit “wanted to kill him.”

Federal authorities are working with state law enforcement and doing “anything we can to help convict the person who did this,” she added.

State police announced that an independent, third-party expert will assess risks and vulnerability of the governor’s official residence. Shapiro said steps will be taken to strengthen safety systems while adding he has faith in his security team and state police.

Dan Balmer said his brother had displayed concerning behavior, including the night before the fire, when he flipped over a table at the home where Cody Balmer lived with their parents.

A search warrant says he scaled a nearly 7-foot-high (2-meter-high) security fence, eluded police, smashed a window with a hammer and tossed a lit beer bottle filled with gasoline into the piano room. Then, he broke a second window, climbed inside the state dining room and remained inside for about a minute, lighting a second Molotov cocktail before kicking open a door and fleeing, the warrant says.

Shapiro said he, his wife, their four children and another family celebrated Passover on Saturday night and then were awakened by state troopers pounding on their doors and forced to evacuate at about 2 a.m. Firefighters extinguished the fire and no one was injured.

The governor said he and his wife have had many conversations with their children since the attack.

“It’s very hard as a parent, to answer to children, like why does this stuff happen,” he said. “Why are there people out there that want to do harm to others? Those are hard questions to answer for kids.”

Mark Scolforo And John Seewer,The Associated Press

Associated Press reporter John Seewer reported from Toledo, Ohio. Other contributors include Bruce Shipkowski in Toms River, New Jersey; and Eric Tucker in Washington.