Suspected Pennsylvania arsonist may have been motivated by war in Gaza: police

Police successful Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, are inactive moving to portion unneurotic the arson and attempted homicide onslaught connected the governor’s residence arsenic details astir the suspect’s imaginable motive and transgression past travel to light. 

Cody Balmer, 38, who is suspected of arson, was retired connected bail erstwhile helium allegedly acceptable the governor’s residence ablaze connected April 13. Additionally, Balmer was already expected to look successful tribunal this week implicit a 2023 battle charge.

According to an affidavit obtained by Fox News connected the 2023 charge, a 13-year-old called constabulary to study that his stepfather was beating his mother. Police wrote that the mother, identified successful the affidavit arsenic Adrian, was successful an "elevated state, yelling and crying astir her husband." Balmer had allegedly taken a afloat vessel of pills successful a termination effort earlier the statement broke out. He is accused of "violently" shoving and punching the 13-year-old, punching Adrian and stepping connected his 10-year-old child’s antecedently breached leg.

Cody Balmer, 38, is charged with attempted murder, aggravated arson, burglary, terrorism, and related offenses for allegedly mounting occurrence to Gov. Josh Shapiro's, authoritative residence connected April 13, 2025. (Dauphin County District Attorney's Office)

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A lieutenant astatine the Penbrook Police Station told Fox News that Balmer’s parent called constabulary anterior to the arson onslaught due to the fact that helium was not taking his medication, and she was acrophobic astir his intelligence health.

Pennsylvania State Trooper Michael Gragg details the video of the arson attack, Balmer’s 911 telephone and an interrogation with Balmer successful warrants obtained by Fox News. 

Surveillance video described successful the warrant allegedly shows Balmer breaking a model astatine the governor’s residence earlier throwing "an incendiary device" inside. According to the warrant, Balmer past broke different window, entered the residence and deployed different incendiary instrumentality earlier helium "approached the eating country exit." The warrant besides states that a pistillate – seemingly identified arsenic Balmer’s "ex-paramour" – said helium confessed to committing the onslaught and asked her to telephone constabulary to crook him in.

Fire harm wrong the Pennsylvania governor's mansion is shown, aft an evident arson onslaught aboriginal Sunday morning. (Commonwealth Media Services)

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The 2nd warrant describes Balmer’s interrogation with troopers successful which helium allegedly admitted to "harboring hatred towards" Gov. Josh Shapiro. Additionally, Balmer besides reportedly said that helium planned to bushed the politician with his hammer if helium were discovered successful the residence. Balmer besides allegedly told an unnamed trooper that helium was liable for the arson attack. 

PennLive obtained a hunt warrant for Balmer’s devices that could constituent to his motive for Sunday’s attack. He allegedly targeted Shapiro, who is Jewish, due to the fact that of "what helium wants to bash to the Palestinian people."

According to PennLive, successful the warrant for Balmer’s devices, Pennsylvania State Police Cpl. Benjamin Forsythe said the fishy targeted Shapiro implicit "perceived injustices to the radical of Palestine." Forsythe besides allegedly pointed to the governor’s Jewish religion arsenic a imaginable motive down Balmer’s attack, but seemingly did not elaborate.

Gov. Josh Shapiro gets an update connected the enactment of onslaught connected the governor's residence, successful Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, April 13, 2025. (Commonwealth Media Services/Handout via Reuters)

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"This benignant of unit is becoming acold excessively communal successful our society," Shapiro said. "And I don't springiness a damn if it's coming from 1 peculiar broadside oregon the other, directed astatine 1 peculiar enactment oregon another, oregon 1 peculiar idiosyncratic oregon another. It is not OK and it has to stop. We person to beryllium amended than this."

Fox News' Maria Paronich, Kitty Le Claire and Chelsea Torres contributed to this report.