Journalism of Courage
A Pennsylvania man has pleaded guilty to attempting to kill Governor Josh Shapiro and setting fire to the governor’s mansion while the governor and his family were inside, the Associated Press (AP) reported.
Cody Balmer, 38, admitted to scaling the security fence at the Pennsylvania governor’s mansion in Harrisburg in the early hours of 13 April and throwing beer bottles filled with petrol to start fires inside the residence.
The attack caused millions of dollars in damage to the state-owned building, prosecutors said.
Balmer pleaded guilty to attempted murder, terrorism, 22 counts of arson, aggravated assault, and other charges. He was sentenced to 25 to 50 years in prison under a plea agreement.
Prosecutors said Balmer entered through the southern wing of the mansion an area used for hosting events and set multiple fires using petrol bombs.
Video footage played in court showed explosions inside and outside the building. Judge Deborah Curcillo described the video as “horrific” and “very frightening.”
Fifteen overnight guests, including children, and two state troopers were inside at the time.
Governor Shapiro, his wife Lori, their children, and guests were asleep when the attack began. They were awakened and evacuated safely, and no one was injured.
In a statement read in court, Shapiro and his wife said the incident left them feeling vulnerable and anxious.
“It’s a fear and anxiety we are learning to live with,” they wrote, adding that the experience had caused stress for their children.
Authorities said Balmer told investigators he acted out of concern for the war in Gaza, claiming he feared “many millions dying.”
“Even if I just have to take a life, I’m not crazy about having to take a life, but I will if it’s because of the millions endangered,” he told investigators, according to District Attorney Fran Chardo.
In a letter from jail to the AP, Balmer denied targeting Shapiro because of his religion, writing: “He can be Jewish, Muslim, or a purple people eater for all I care, as long as he leaves me and mine alone.”
Governor Shapiro said his family supported the plea deal, calling it “real accountability.” He used the moment to warn about the wider issue of political violence.
“My family isn’t alone in experiencing political violence,” he said. “It shouldn’t be accepted as the normal course of doing business.”
Shapiro said several world leaders had reached out after the attack, sharing their own concerns about safety and threats against public officials.
Balmer’s family said his mental health had deteriorated in the months before the attack. A letter from relatives read in court said he had stopped taking medication, which led him down “a dark and difficult path.”
At an earlier hearing, Balmer said he was an unemployed welder with no savings and “a lot of children.”
The governor’s residence, built in 1968, did not have a sprinkler system at the time. Repairs and security upgrades are ongoing, the AP said.
