People Suggest a Motive Behind the Arson of Governor Josh Shapiro’s House by an Alleged Suspect – Details

The suspect broke into the Pennsylvania governor’s mansion in the middle of the night, during the Jewish holiday of Passover.

Cody Balmer, a 38-year-old resident of Harrisburg, has been arrested following a fire that broke out at the residence of Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro early Sunday morning, April 13. Online, several people have been speculating about what may have driven him to such an act.

While an official motive has not yet been confirmed, an alleged court document has begun circulating that may shed light on what triggered the attack. The document references a property on Canby Street in Harrisburg that was reportedly due to be auctioned.

It explicitly states the property was “seized and taken into execution to be sold as the property of CODY A. BALMER,” pointing to a potential link between the foreclosure and the suspect’s actions.

The document’s authenticity and the property’s ownership have not been independently verified. However, an old online post suggests Balmer’s grandmother may have owned the house on Canby Street.

In 2012, GeoAnne Brandt wrote, “Cody Balmer, Daniel Balmer, Heather Balmer and Quinten Balmer – PLEASE find the time to shovel your grandmother’s driveway and front walk. We’ve had to cancel dr. appointments because neither your Grandmother or Uncle Steve can get out of the house. Thank you!”

As the investigation continues, many are speculating that the fire may have been an act of retaliation connected to the loss of this property.

One person reacted, “Crazy and sad, now he ruined his life.” Another person mentioned a possible motivation, “Cody Balmer. Looks like he was angry at property being seized/auctioned.”

Someone with a more detailed theory speculated, “My sneaking suspicion is the arsonist, Cody Balmer, attempted to set the Pennsylvania governor’s mansion on fire because the government had taken property and was auctioning it off. The property had belonged to his deceased grandmother and he was probably living there.”

One commenter brought up Balmer’s troubled past, “This is important. In 2023, Cody Balmer was charged with assault. Recently, he lost his home to foreclosure. His life was in a downward spiral before his (alleged) arson attack on the Pennsylvania goverrnor’s [sic] mansion.”

A person with similar ideas wondered, “Cody Balmer’s property was foreclosed on by the loan company. it must really hurt to be foreclosed on. But why he took it out on the Governor is anyone’s guess.”

Noting the timing of the incident, another person wrote, “It is strange, though, that he did it on passover [sic]. How terrifying, whatever the cause.” The arson occurred just after Shapiro and his family celebrated Passover with other members of the Jewish community.

Surveillance footage captured the suspect breaching the grounds of the Governor’s Residence in Harrisburg while he and his family were inside. The suspect scouted the property before scaling a wall and approaching a window on the building’s south side.

Armed with a hammer, he repeatedly struck the window until it shattered, then hurled a Molotov cocktail inside, sparking a large blaze.

The suspect moved on to another part of the residence, entering through an eastern window and setting two additional fires with more Molotov cocktails before exiting through a fire door.

The entire incident, including the suspect’s distinctive “Snap-On” jacket with marked shoulder patches, was captured on surveillance cameras.

As much as the fire caused significant damage to the property, Shapiro and his family were safely evacuated. Later that day, Pennsylvania State Police interviewed Balmer, who admitted to carrying out the attack.

A search of his home in Penbrook Borough led officers to the same jacket seen in the footage, along with a bag containing a gasoline container in his bedroom.

Shapiro also recounted the early morning events, saying that around 2 a.m., he and his family were awoken by urgent knocks from the Pennsylvania State Police after the fire was set. While the Harrisburg Bureau of Fire worked to control the flames, State Police evacuated his family with help from Capitol Police.

Reflecting on their response, he said, “Every day, we stand with the law enforcement and first responders who run towards danger to protect our communities. Last night, they did so for our family – and Lori and I are eternally grateful to them for keeping us safe.”

After Balmer’s arrest, Shapiro addressed the incident, noting that while the exact reason behind the attack remains unclear, certain facts are undeniable. “First, this type of violence is not okay,” he said.

He emphasized that acts like these are becoming increasingly frequent in society and made it clear that political affiliation doesn’t excuse such behavior. “We have to be better than this. We have a responsibility to all be better,” he urged.

Lt. Col. George Bivens of the Pennsylvania State Police also spoke out, revealing that Balmer was inside the Governor’s Residence for less than a minute and was “actively evading” troopers who were already searching for him during that time.

“He clearly had a plan. He was very methodical in his approach,” shared Bivens. He added that a security review is currently underway to help prevent similar incidents in the future.