Man charged in arson attack on Pennsylvania's Shapiro

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro speaks outside governor's mansion charred in arson attack

Shapiro spoke at a news conference outside a visibly charred wing of his 1968 mansion

(Image credit: Matthew Hatcher / Getty Images)

What happened

Pennsylvania authorities Sunday arrested a man they said broke into and set fire to the governor's mansion in Harrisburg while Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) and his family were asleep upstairs. The governor and his family were awoken by a state trooper pounding on their bedroom doors at about 2 a.m. Sunday; everyone was safely evacuated.

Who said what

State Police officials identified the suspect, arrested Sunday afternoon, as Cody Balmer, 38, of Harrisburg. They alleged he jumped the 7-foot iron fence surrounding the property, evaded police aware of the intrusion and caused a "significant amount of damage to a portion of the residence" with homemade incendiary devices before escaping.

"We don't know the person's specific motive yet" for this "targeted" attack, "but it has to stop," Shapiro said at a news conference outside a visibly charred wing of the 1968 mansion. "This type of violence is not OK. I don't give a damn if it's from one particular side or another. It's not OK." He noted that the attack occurred shortly after he, his family and other members of the local Jewish community had celebrated the first night of Passover on Saturday night in the now-damaged state dining room.

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Shapiro, viewed as a rising Democratic star and possible 2028 presidential contender, is the latest high-profile political figure targeted with violence. An FBI affidavit unsealed Sunday said a Wisconsin teenager arrested for allegedly killing his mother and stepfather was planning to assassinate President Donald Trump to destabilize the government to "save the white race." But despite deep political polarization and a "handful" of alarming, attention-grabbing incidents in recent years, The New York Times said, "research shows that extremist violence in the United States has actually declined."

What next?

Balmer has been charged with attempted murder, aggravated arson, burglary, terrorism and related offenses.

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.