Pennsylvania Governor’s house firebombed as family slept

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Pennsylvania State Police say they are investigating an alleged arson at the governor’s residence overnight, which left the building with a “significant amount of damage.”

Gov. Josh Shapiro said in a post on X that he and his family “woke up to bangs on the door from the Pennsylvania State Police after an arsonist set fire to the Governor’s Residence in Harrisburg.”

He and his family were safely evacuated from the home by state police and no one was injured, he added.

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

The governor had celebrated the first night of Passover earlier that evening, a post on X shows.

Pennsylvania State Police said that although the investigation is ongoing, they are “prepared to say at this time that this was an act of arson.”

The Harrisburg Bureau of Fire responded to the fire around 2:00 a.m. Sunday morning, according to a news release from Pennsylvania State Police.

“While the fire was successfully extinguished, it caused a significant amount of damage to a portion of the residence,” reads the release.

Police are offering a reward of up to $10,000 for the arrest and conviction of the person or people involved, according to the release.

One person is in custody in relation to the fire set at Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro’s official residence in Harrisburg early Sunday, officials said.

Cody Balmer, 38, was taken into custody and will be charged with attempted murder, terrorism, aggravated arson and aggravated assault against an enumerated person, Dauphin County Pennsylvania District Attorney Fran Chardo said at a news conference Sunday. Balmer may also face federal charges, Chardo added.

A motive was not clear, but officials believe it was a targeted attack, Shapiro said at the news conference.

He said he spoke to FBI Director Kash Patel Sunday afternoon, who offered federal government resources.

Pennsylvania State Police Lt. Col. George Bivens said officials are conducting an arson investigation, as well as an attempted homicide and aggravated arson investigation. Bivens added that he does not expect Balmer to be charged with conspiracy.

The alleged arsonist acted quickly, Bivens said, noting that he was inside the home for less than a minute and that the entire event happened over the course of "a number of minutes."

Authorities are investigating how long the man was on the property before he set the fire, Bivens added, saying they "have an idea" about the time frame.

Officials believe he had a plan, Bivens said, noting how quickly he was in and out of the residence and calling him "methodical in his approach."

Chardo, the DA, alleged that Balmer jumped over a fence to access the governor's home before forcibly entering the residence and setting the fire.

The break-in and setting of the fire happened while troopers were looking for the suspect, Bivens said.

The man "actively evaded troopers who were here to secure the residence, even while they were searching for him on the property," Bivens noted. A security review is underway, he said.

Balmer then exited the property the same way he entered, Bivens alleged — over the fence. He was taken into custody in Harrisburg on Sunday afternoon.

Bivens said Balmer had homemade incendiary devices with him.

Balmer has faced criminal charges in Pennsylvania before, court records show. He pleaded guilty to forgery and theft in 2015 and again to forgery in 2016. He was also charged with assault in 2023 in a case that is still open.

The public defender representing Balmer in the assault case did not immediately respond to a request for comment Sunday evening. Attempts to reach the Dauphin County Public Defender's Office for comment Sunday evening were unsuccessful.

Shapiro thanked law enforcement, who he said at Sunday's news conference were at his residence in "seconds." Bivens also commended the Harrisburg Fire Department, who he said was "instrumental" in preventing loss of life in the fire.

Shapiro also called for an end to violence that he said is "becoming far too common in our society."

"I don’t give a damn if it’s coming from one particular side or the other, directed at one particular party or another, or one particular person or another, it is not OK and it has to stop," Shapiro said.

Photos of the fire response showed smoke billowing out from one of the residence’s windows, blackening the exterior trim above the window with what appeared to be a layer of soot.

A narrow look inside the home through the window showed substantial damage to the interior. There was a piece of furniture by the window that appeared completely charred by the blaze.

The couple have four children together: Sophia, Jonah, Max and Reuben. Sophia and Jonah are legal adults, while Max and Rueben are minors.

It’s unclear whether either of Shapiro’s adult children were home. The governor said he was not going to discuss which of his family members were in the home at the time of the arson attack.

Shapiro offered Passover well-wishes just hours before the attack. Shapiro, who is Jewish, shared a photo of his Seder table on social media.

“From the Shapiro family’s Seder table to yours, happy Passover and Chag Pesach Sameach!” he wrote on X Saturday evening.

"No one will deter me or my family or any Pennsylvanian from celebrating their faith openly and proudly," Shapiro said in his comments later Sunday.

Beth Beene, who lives down the street from the residence, told NBC News that she heard fire trucks in the middle of the night but went back to bed. She couldn’t believe it when she learned news of the arson investigation at Shapiro’s home.

“I couldn’t believe how extensive the damage was,” Beene said. “I thought it was something that was caught, put out ... but I was shocked to see windows broken out.”

Shapiro and his wife are good neighbors, Beene said, noting that they always make time to chat while walking around the neighborhood. She said the incident was especially troubling given the timing of the Passover holiday.

The man charged in connection with an arson at Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro’s home over the weekend allegedly climbed the residence's fence, used a hammer to break a window and threw Molotov cocktails in to start the blaze, prosecutors revealed.

Cody A. Balmer, 38, was charged with attempted criminal homicide, aggravated arson, burglary, terrorism and other counts in connection with the early Sunday morning attack, the Dauphin County District Attorney’s Office announced Monday.

The arson attack lasted for several minutes. Shapiro and first lady Lori Shapiro, as well as other guests and staff, were inside the Harrisburg residence when the fire erupted around 2 a.m. No one was injured in the fire, and the governor's family was safely evacuated. However, prosecutors said the residence sustained "substantial damage."

Balmer, of Harrisburg, turned himself into the Pennsylvania State Police on Sunday and admitted to "harboring hatred towards Governor Shapiro."

When asked during a police interview what he would have done if Shapiro found him inside the residence, "he advised he would have beaten him with his hammer," the probable cause affidavit said.

The attack
Balmer was caught on security cameras both within and outside the residence, officials said. He was seen wearing a black "snap-on" jacket, black boots and carrying a bag.

Video surveillance footage showed the suspect climbing over an exterior fence of Shapiro's residence, approaching the piano room windows on the south side of the home and breaking an exterior window with a hammer, the criminal affidavit said. He then threw a Molotov cocktail inside through the broken glass. Shortly after, flames were seen in the interior of the home, the probable cause affidavit said.

Balmer then moved to an adjacent window, broke the glass and entered the home through the broken window, the affidavit said. Once inside, he deployed a second incendiary device in the dining room that spurred another fire.

The affidavit states that Balmer then moved toward the dining room exit. Surveillance footage showed him wearing two different colored gloves — one orange and one yellow. He was seen kicking the dining room door open and exiting the residence. He left the property in the same direction he entered, climbing back over the perimeter fence, running through a parking lot and then fleeing the residence in a southeast direction, the affidavit said.

Investigators found two broken glass beer bottles containing gasoline in the dining room of the residence.

Investigators also collected videos from privately owned security cameras and found that the suspect had fled east on Peffer Street. A sweep of Peffer Street led investigators to locate the gloves that matched the suspect’s in a trash can. The gloves had a “strong smell of gasoline emanating from them,” the criminal affidavit said.

Shapiro, who is Jewish, had shared Passover well-wishes online Saturday evening just hours before the attack.

He condemned the attack in a Sunday press conference, saying, "This kind of violence is not OK … I don’t give a damn if it’s coming from one particular side or the other, directed at one particular party or another, or one particular person or another. It is not OK and it has to stop."

Turning himself in
Pennsylvania State Police in Harrisburg were contacted by a woman who said she was the ex-paramour of Balmer. She said Balmer confessed to the act and "wanted her to call police to turn him in," the affidavit said.

A short time later, Balmer approached a Pennsylvania State Police trooper at the department headquarters. He said he was "responsible" for the fire in the governor’s residence and "wished to turn himself in." He was transported to the Pennsylvania State Police office in Harrisburg, where he was interviewed, the affidavit said.

During the interview, he confessed his ill feelings toward Shapiro.

He told investigators that he removed gasoline from a lawn mower and poured it into beer bottles he found at his home, then walked for an hour to the governor’s residence with the intention of throwing the homemade Molotov cocktails into the home.

He admitted that he scaled the perimeter fence, broke two windows with a hammer and threw the Molotov cocktails inside. Balmer said after leaving the governor's residence, he returned to his own home and removed the clothes he wore during the attack, the affidavit said.

Troopers responded to his home and seized the "snap-on" jacket, a black bag and a small sledgehammer, "which were identical to those observed in the surveillance at the Governor’s residence," the affidavit said.

Balmer also told investigators that he was aware his actions would result in "negative consequences" and knew it was possible that Shapiro and others were home at the time and that they could have been harmed, according to the affidavit.

Balmer was transported to Dauphin County Prison for arraignment. According to his court docket, he is awaiting a preliminary hearing.

Pennsylvania state police said Monday that Balmer was transported to a hospital, and is receiving treatment "due to a medical event not connected to this incident or his arrest." It’s not clear what caused him to be hospitalized.

Suspect appeared to be critical of the government online
Balmer worked as a mechanic. Kindermans Auto Repair, an auto repair shop in Harrisburg, wrote on Facebook on Sunday that he was a former employee at the shop.

Balmer’s social media presence suggests he held staunch anti-government views. He often posted memes urging people to "become ungovernable" and reposted an artwork of a Molotov cocktail in 2022 with the slogan "Be the light you want to see in the world."

He posted negative content about then-President Joe Biden and seemed to reject Biden’s 2020 presidential win. He shared posts on Facebook criticizing Biden during his term, including a picture with the text "Joe Biden owes me 2 grand" and a post that said "Biden supporters shouldn’t exist."

He also shared a meme in 2020 that argued that both Democrats and Republicans "would rather argue with other than work to solve the problems we are facing." It's not clear what his political affiliation is.

President Donald Trump briefly spoke on the attack from the White House on Monday, where he said the suspect was "probably just a wack job."

"The attacker was not a fan of Trump. I understand, just from what I read and from what I’ve been told, the attacker basically wasn’t a fan of anybody," Trump said. "Certainly a thing like that cannot be allowed to happen."

Former President Joe Biden said on X Monday: "Jill and I are disgusted by the attack on the Shapiro family and their home during the first night of Passover. We are relieved that they are safe and grateful to the first responders. There is no place for this type of evil in America, and as I told the Governor yesterday, we must stand united against hatred and violence

Pennsylvania police say an arson at the governor’s residence forced Gov. Shapiro and his family to evacuate


Shapiro was a major contender to be Kamala Harris’s running mate. At the time there were allegations that he was not chosen because his being Jewish was considered too toxic.

Penbrook Police are releasing new details regarding Cody Allen Balmer’s mother, Christie, requesting an involuntary mental health evaluation for her son days before he allegedly set fire to Governor Josh Shapiro’s residence.

Police say Balmer’s mother contacted them on April 10, two days before the attack, due to Cody’s ‘irritable and agitated’ behavior, that he stopped taking his medication a year ago, and that he had suddenly left their house.

Christie told officers that days prior, on April 6, she called Crisis Intervention to report her concern, but because Balmer hadn’t made threats to himself or others, it did not meet the threshold for an involuntary mental health evaluation. Police say Christie noted the decision to call Crisis Intervention further infuriated Cody.

Police say they were led to a hotel in Shippensburg where Balmer had been staying. The front desk clerk at that hotel told officers that Balmer had checked out earlier in the day and “appeared fine,” per police.

Christie also told police that Cody had a history of disappearing to various states in the past and that another family member was not concerned about his well-being.

According to Penbrook Police, individuals may only be involuntarily committed when they are:

Presenting a clear and present danger to others
Unable to self-care
Attempting suicide or expressing suicidal or homicidal ideations
Self-mutilating

Cody Balmer, the man accused of setting fire to Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro’s residence, allegedly told 911 operators he targeted the governor in part because of his views on the war in Gaza, according to a search warrant obtained by CNN from the Dauphin County district attorney.

The warrant, first reported by news site PennLive, said Balmer called 911 early Sunday morning after the fire at the governor’s residence, and said Shapiro needs to know he “will not take part in his plans for what he wants to do to the Palestinian people.”

Balmer also told 911 operators Shapiro needed to “stop having my friends killed,” and that “our people have been put through too much by that monster,” the warrant said.

One warrant notes Balmer’s “intonation and cadence” sounded like he was “possibly reading from a script,” according to PennLive. CNN has not reviewed that document.

Law enforcement officials have not conclusively said Balmer’s alleged attack was motivated by hate or antisemitism.

“I can’t speak to it directly because it’s not of record,” Dauphin County District Attorney Fran Chardo told CNN’s Jim Sciutto on Monday when asked if antisemitism motivated the arson.

“We’re looking at the possibility that it was geared towards the governor’s religion and his views on Israel,” continued Chardo.

But on Tuesday, Chardo told CNN affiliate KYW, “we do have evidence of that — that I believe is of record — that [Balmer] made reference to the governor’s faith.”

During his arraignment Monday, Balmer was not charged with any additional crimes related to hate.

Balmer, 38, has faced personal and financial turmoil in recent years – including allegations that he assaulted his wife and young children amid a suicide attempt.

Investigators believe mental health issues may be a factor, according to a source familiar with the investigation. Officials were struck by how casual and relaxed the suspect was throughout the ordeal, the source said.

The US Justice Department is assisting with the investigation, Attorney General Pam Bondi said at a news conference Wednesday, where she called the fire “absolutely horrific” and indicated she believed the suspect’s goal was to harm the governor.

“I firmly believe that they wanted to kill him,” Bondi said.

Balmer shared posts critical of Biden
Balmer shared Facebook posts critical of former President Joe Biden, but doesn’t appear to have mentioned Shapiro, also a Democrat. In an interview with police, Balmer admitted to “harboring hatred” toward Shapiro, and said he would have beaten the governor with a hammer if found during the attack, according to an arrest affidavit obtained by CNN.

Balmer is a registered voter in Pennsylvania but is not affiliated with a political party, according to state records. On his Facebook account, he has made multiple posts since 2021 that are critical of Biden.

A post from January 2021 says in part, “Biden supporters shouldn’t exist. Where were you his first run? Well aware of the trash he is.” Another post from the same month reads in part, “RIP Joe Biden….. Whoops that’s in May, #notmypresidenteither.”

In September 2021, Balmer posted a meme criticizing Biden’s handling of the US withdrawal from Afghanistan. The meme shows Biden in a car with text that reads, “Get in, loser. We’re leaving Afghanistan.” The next image shows the former president appearing to drive off with text that says “*Drives off without you*.”

In June 2022, Balmer shared on Facebook what appears to be a photo of a needlepoint illustration of a flaming Molotov cocktail – the same weapon authorities say he used to start the fires at Shapiro’s residence.

“Be the light you want to see in the world,” the original image declared.

break-in and arson at Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro’s residence has cast scrutiny on its security, as authorities work to understand how a suspect was able to enter the home and escape without being apprehended – even as officers searched for him.

The fire early Sunday resulted in a “significant amount of damage” to the Harrisburg residence, though Shapiro, a prominent Democrat, and his family were safely evacuated. But law enforcement and security experts who spoke to CNN indicated this weekend’s incident appeared to stem from several lapses that underscore a need for a thorough review of the security measures in place.

“The scope of the security failure here is just hard to get your hands around,” said former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe.

“So many things happened, and each one of those things should never have happened if there was an adequate security plan and surveillance and technology in place,” McCabe said.

Troopers in the Executive Services Office of the Pennsylvania State Police are tasked with protecting the governor, according to a 2017 legislative committee report, which then counted 23 troopers among their ranks. Sunday, the governor stressed his “total confidence” in the agency.

But the incident is seen by many within the agency as a failure, and some personnel could face discipline, according to a source familiar with the investigation.

A security review is now underway “to determine how we can ensure that we don’t have a repeat situation like this,” Pennsylvania State Police Lt. Col. George Bivens told reporters Sunday. Asked questions about security and the incident, State Police told CNN Monday it could not offer additional information, citing “operational security concerns.”

The investigation into the incident will likely examine whether all staff were at their assigned posts and consider how they responded to the first report from Capitol police. But officials also will likely look at surveillance technology on the property and whether it functioned properly.

Here’s what we know about security measures at the residence – and how a man allegedly hoping to harm the governor was able to evade a system of fences, cameras and sensors in minutes.

Suspect allegedly evaded several layers of defense
Each step of the break-in should have alerted security officers at the residence, according to Michael Evanoff, a security consultant and former assistant secretary of state for diplomatic security at the US State Department. He described possible failures at multiple levels of “concentric security.”

If one (part) fails, the other one should have picked it up,” he said.

Jonathan Wackrow, a security consultant and former US Secret Service agent, echoed that, saying the suspect “easily” defeated “multiple layers of defense.”

“First, starting with the perimeter fencing, then the electronic surveillance and detection system, gaining access into the residence and then launching the attack – all while the state police that was providing the protective resource there was unable to locate him.”

Balmer, a mechanic from Harrisburg who faced legal and financial troubles in the past, told police he spent around an hour walking from his home to the governor’s residence, according to the affidavit.

After arriving, he allegedly hopped the fence surrounding the residence and broke two windows with a hammer. He then allegedly threw a Molotov cocktail fashioned from lawnmower gasoline and beer bottles through one of the broken windows – starting a fire – and climbed through the other to enter the home, per the affidavit, which cited security camera footage.

The suspect was on the property for several minutes before the fires began, according to the source familiar with the investigation.

Motion sensors, cameras and alarms
Ideally, motion detection sensors on the fence and the grounds should have picked up an intruder jumping the fence and alerted officers at the property, Evanoff noted. Then, when Balmer allegedly broke the glass of the window, it should have also set off an alarm, Evanoff said. And officers could have used floodlights to instantly light up the areas where motion was detected, making it easy to spot an intruder.

The Pennsylvania Capitol Police first alerted the governor’s security detail of a possible breach of the fence next to a utility pole on the Geiger Street side of the compound, a law enforcement source told CNN.

It’s unclear exactly what alerted officers to the breach, and how many officers were at the property at the time.

The state police security detail then sent officers onto the grounds to investigate whether someone was inside the perimeter, according to a CNN source.

Balmer allegedly broke into the building after troopers had already begun to search for him and “actively evaded” the officers, Bivens explained. The governor’s security “knew that there had been a breach on the property and we were searching to determine what had occurred,” Bivens said.

Then the fire was discovered, and the priority shifted to getting the governor, his family and their guests out of the residence, the law enforcement source said.

The property has numerous security cameras equipped with motion sensor technology that are supposed to be monitored, the source familiar with the investigation told CNN. But there have been numerous past instances where the motion sensors were tripped by squirrels and cats, the source said.

If there were failures in the sensors, that could be due to “antiquated technology,” said Evanoff. He noted most modern security systems can distinguish between small animals and humans. Additionally, an officer should have been monitoring the property’s surveillance cameras 24/7, he added.

Pennsylvania State Police did not answer CNN’s questions about motion sensors at the property and whether an officer was monitoring surveillance camera footage from the property.

Once he was inside, Balmer threw a second incendiary device, causing more flames, the affidavit reads. Balmer then kicked a dining room door down and fled the scene, according to the affidavit.

In total, he was inside the residence for less than a minute, officials said.

State Police didn’t answer CNN’s questions about whether smoke alarms went off at the property. Shapiro described being woken around 2 a.m. by troopers knocking on his door, who helped him and his family evacuate. He lauded the “outstanding work” of responding officers.

Evanoff pointed out this, too, might represent a possible security failure: “If there is some sort of intrusion, then the alarms should make a loud sound,” he said.

Escape marks another potential lapse
Surveillance camera captured Balmer leaving the property the same way he got in – climbing over the fence, the affidavit said.

The intruder’s escape marks another possible failure, according to Charles Ramsey, who previously led police departments in Philadelphia and Washington, DC.

“Had he not decided he wanted to turn himself in, he may still be at large,” Ramsey said of the suspect.

After Balmer fled the scene, a woman who identified herself as his ex-partner called police to say he had confessed to starting the fire, according to the affidavit.

Ramsey noted the “major breach in security” happened overnight, when staffing may have been slim. If there were only a few officers on site, that may have complicated the effort to simultaneously find the intruder while also making sure the governor and his family were safe, he explained.

‘We got lucky’
The incident should provide “all kinds of lessons to learn, not just for the governor of Pennsylvania, but governors around the country and other high-profile elected officials,” Ramsey said.

“They need to check their security and make sure they have adequate security in place,” he said. “We got lucky this time.”

Ramsey called for a third-party, independent review of security measures at the residence.

Former Boston police commissioner Ed Davis pointed out Shapiro is “one of the highest-profile politicians in the country, arguably a leader in the Democratic Party.”

“Someone with this type of profile, you need to take everything very, very seriously in this environment that we’re in,” he told CNN on Sunday. “These are dangerous times.”

The attack took place after the first night of Passover, a major Jewish holiday, which also should have warranted additional security, according to Davis. “Any kind of holiday like that increases the potential for trouble,” he said.

Training and ‘up-to-date’ systems are key
Evanoff emphasized the importance of training for security teams like that at the governor’s residence. Teams should regularly run drills to make sure they know the protocols in case of an intrusion and test their system’s weak spots, he said. And high-profile figures such as the governor should have the most “up-to-date” security systems, he added. State Police didn’t answer questions from CNN about the training of the governor’s security team.

The arson comes after several attacks on elected officials in the past few years, including two attempted assassinations of President Donald Trump before his reelection, an alleged kidnapping plot against Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in 2020 and a 2022 break-in at the San Francisco home of Nancy Pelosi, then speaker of the House, by a man who attacked her husband with a hammer.

Evanoff noted the increased vitriol toward elected officials amid a “polarization of the political landscape right now” – which should encourage heightened security measures, he said.

Shapiro, 51, was one of several candidates considered for former Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate during her 2024 presidential bid. He has been floated as a potential presidential candidate for 2028.

A Republican congressman accused “the left” of instigating the shocking firebomb attack on Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro’s home.

He even suggested at one point that Shapiro himself was to blame.

“Look in the mirror,” he told Democrats in response to the chilling attack, which caused widespread damage to the state’s governor’s mansion.

Rep. Dan Meuser made the comments Tuesday on The Bob Cordaro Show, a local radio program on Pennsylvania’s WILK.

He also mentioned the firebombing attacks at a Tesla showroom in Albuquerque and the GOP’s New Mexico headquarters, saying that “what just kills” him is the left condemning these acts while “continuing to make violent type of hostile commentary.”

The left’s got to, you know, look in the mirror here, too,” he said.

Meuser said the man who attacked Shapiro’s home was a “psycho, of course,” but added that he thinks Democrats have “gotta tone it down.”

He then pointed the finger at Shapiro for bringing the attack onto himself by speaking out against President Donald Trump.

“I mean, every action Josh Shapiro has taken so far against the president has either been a lawsuit or a falsehood; and, you know, that’s not helpful either,” he said. “That’s not helpful either.”

Bob Cordaro jumped in, adding how Shapiro is “one of the amen chorus for the Democrat lunatics.”

He referenced the car bomb that went off in front of Trump’s Las Vegas hotel in January, remarking: “I’m not sure the governor’s office made too much of a statement about that.”

“So look, let’s just take a breath and realize that this sort of thing needs to be condemned by both sides all the time, 100% of the time,” he said.

Trump said Monday that the arson suspect, Cody Balmer, was not “a fan” of his.

In 911 calls that have been released, Balmer is reported to have told a dispatcher that he “will not take part in his plans for what he wants to do to the Palestinian people,” seemingly referring to Shapiro.

Shapiro said Wednesday that he wasn’t sure why Balmer would be angry at his stance on the matter.

”I think that’s a question for prosecutors to determine what he meant by that and to prosecute him to the fullest extent of the law," Shapiro said.