Posted on 04/16/25
| News Source: JPost
The suspect in the arson attack at Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro’s home was due to his perceived stance on Palestine, according to a search warrant obtained by PennLive.
The suspect, Cody Balmer, called 911 following the attack early on Sunday, identified himself by name, and told operators that Shapiro needs to know he “will not take part in his plans for what he wants to do to the Palestinian people,” the search warrant written by police said.
Balmer continued, saying he needed to “stop having my friends killed” and that “... our people have been put through too much by that monster,” according to the warrant, which says Balmer’s intonation and cadence sounded like he was possibly reading from a script.
“You all know where to find me. I’m not hiding, and I will confess to everything that I had done,” Balmer, according to the warrant, told 911 at 2:50 a.m. Sunday, less than an hour after the firebombing at the Governor’s Residence at 2035 Front Street in Harrisburg.
The investigation continued into the morning when Balmer’s ex-girlfriend called the police and said Balmer told her he was responsible for the arson. Later on Sunday, Balmer approached state police headquarters in Harrisburg to surrender.
Police obtained several search warrants, including for Balmer’s parents’ home, where he was living, a storage unit, and his electronic devices.
In the warrant for his devices signed Tuesday, Corporal Benjamin Forsythe of the Pennsylvania State Police says Balmer targeted Shapiro “based upon perceived injustices to the people of Palestine,” as well as Shapiro’s Jewish faith, though the warrant does not elaborate on why Shapiro’s faith is believed to have been a motive.
Police say they have video of Balmer scaling the security fence surrounding the Governor’s Residence, using a hammer to break windows, and climbing inside to throw Molotov cocktails and start a fire.
Investigators searched Balmer’s storage unit on the 500 block of 29th Street in Swatara Township and did not find any references to Israel or Palestine, though they did find stickers inside a toolbox of South American Marxist revolutionary Ernesto “Che” Guevara.
The evidence sheds new light on the motive for the arson attack on the Governor’s Residence on Sunday, which took place just hours after Shapiro hosted a Passover dinner to celebrate the first night of the Jewish holiday. The attack left the property significantly damaged, though the Shapiros, their guests, and staff were evacuated without incident.
Following the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led massacre, Shapiro condemned the attack and voiced support for Israel.He also called for dismantling a pro-Palestinian encampment at the University of Pennsylvania last year after demonstrators attempted to occupy a building on campus.