A 38-year-old man was arrested for being arrested at the official residence of Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, which forced the governor and his family to evacuate in the early hours of Sunday, April 13. However, according to Pennsylvania police, the fire caused significant damage to historic residences. Governor Shapiro, along with his wife, their four children, two dogs and another visiting family, were safely evacuated from the building.
The suspect was identified as Cody Balmer of Harrisburg and was arrested on Sunday. Dauphin County District Attorney Fran Chardo said that although he has not been formally prosecuted, Balmer will face several serious charges, including attempted murder, terrorism, serious arson and serious assault on public officials. Federal charges may follow. According to the authorities’ methods, Balmer made his homemade combustion device with him, allegedly jumped onto the fence, entered the governor’s residence and caused a fire. Lieutenant Colonel George Bevins of the Pennsylvania Police Department described the attack as targeted and organized, although the specific motivations are not yet clear.
Photos released by the state show the consequences of the fire, with part of the house burning, furniture being destroyed and walls turning black. The residue from the Shapiro family Passover dinner that was held the night before is still seen in the damage. Shapiro said if this person tries to stop me from taking on the job of governor, rest assured that I will find a way to work harder than I do. He also stressed his pride in Jewish heritage: if he tried to intimidate our family, our friends, the Jewish community, who joined our Passover Seed in the last room, I am proud of it, we celebrate our faith with pride and we will celebrate our second Passover in a few hours. No one will stop me, my family or any Pennsylvanians from celebrating their faith publicly. Last night at the Governor’s residence, we attacked not only our families, but the entire Commonwealth in Pennsylvania. This violence has become too common in our society and it must stop. pic.twitter.com/5HP5JSVGFC Governor Josh Shapiro (@governorshapiro) has a criminal history on April 13, 2025, including a 2016 guilty plea for deception against forgery and theft. He will also be linked to a simple attack charge in 2023 in another case this week. National and federal authorities, including the FBIS Philadelphia Field Office, have now participated in the investigation. Security reviews are also underway to prevent similar incidents in the future. Shapiro thanks law enforcement and first responders for their swift action: Every day, we stand with law enforcement and first responders who are at risk of protecting our community. Last night, they were forever grateful for our family and Lori and me. Political leaders across the country expressed support. Vice President JD Vance condemned the attacks to be really disgusting, and Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman called it truly shocking. Former Governor Tom Ridge also imposed trade-offs and wrote that we should all feel safe in our homes, especially when the home is officially in our state. Pennsylvania Governor Joshshapiro and his family were forced to evacuate sustaulson (photo/video) in his house for the first time on the Linda Ikeji blog.
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