🎙️ Voice is AI-generated. Inconsistencies may occur.
The man arrested on suspicion of setting fire to Democratic Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro's residence appears to have posted several social media posts criticizing former president Joe Biden.
Cody Balmer, 38, of Harrisburg, will face charges of attempted murder, terrorism, aggravated arson and aggravated assault, authorities said.
A Facebook page that appears to belong to Balmer does not feature any recent posts, but displays several critical of Biden during his presidency.
The Context
Shapiro is viewed as a potential White House contender for the Democratic Party in 2028. He gained national prominence last year when he was on the shortlist of the candidates to be then-Vice President Kamala Harris' running mate in the 2024 election after Biden dropped out of the race. Though she ultimately chose Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, Shapiro remained visible during the campaign.
What To Know
In September 2021, Balmer appears to have posted a meme on Facebook about the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. It shows Biden in a car with overlaid text reading: "Get in, loser. We're leaving Afghanistan." A second picture of Biden is captioned: "Drives off without you."
In a post in March 2021, Balmer wrote that "five dollars was gas money when Trump was president." He also wrote in a post that month that "Joe Biden owes me 2 grand" over a picture of himself.
Authorities said on Sunday that the suspect had scaled a security fence surrounding the governor's mansion before breaking in and setting a fire.
Shapiro, his family and guests in the residence were awakened by state troopers at around 2 a.m. on Sunday morning. He said his family had celebrated the Jewish holiday of Passover at the residence on Saturday.
They evacuated the residence and firefighters extinguished the fire. The blaze caused significant damage to parts of the residence, but no one was injured, authorities said.
At a news conference on Sunday, Lt. Col. George Bivens of the Pennsylvania State Police said Balmer had some "homemade incendiary devices," but declined to provide further details.
Bivens said Balmer was inside the residence for less than a minute and later arrested in the area.
What People Are Saying
Lt. Col. George Bivens told reporters on Sunday: "I will tell you that he clearly had a plan. He was very methodical in his approach and moved through it without a lot of hurry."
Josh Shapiro said at a news conference on Sunday: "We don't know the person's specific motive yet. But we do know a few truths. First, this type of violence is not OK. This kind of violence is becoming far too common in our society. And 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. We have to be better than this."
He added: "If this individual was trying to deter me from doing my job as your governor, rest assured I will find a way to work even harder than I was just yesterday for the good people of Pennsylvania."
Shapiro also said: "No one will deter me or my family or any Pennsylvanian from celebrating their faith openly and proudly."
Vice President JD Vance wrote on X, formerly Twitter: "Thanks be to God that Governor Shapiro and his family were unharmed in this attack. Really disgusting violence, and I hope whoever did it is brought swiftly to justice."
What's Next
The investigation into the fire is ongoing, and authorities have yet to disclose a motive.
Update 4/14/25, 4.45 a.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.
About the writer
Khaleda Rahman is Newsweek's National Correspondent based in London, UK. Her focus is reporting on education and national news. Khaleda ... Read more