A Pennsylvania man accused of setting fire to Gov. Josh Shapiro’s (D) residence earlier this year pleaded guilty on Tuesday to a string of charges — including attempted murder and terrorism — after admitting he targeted the governor over his stance on the Israel–Hamas conflict.
Cody Balmer, 36, appeared at the Dauphin County Courthouse in Harrisburg as he pleaded guilty to all counts, including attempted murder, aggravated arson, burglary, terrorism, and related offenses.
The arson occurred around 2 a.m. on April 13, while Shapiro and his family were asleep after celebrating the first night of Passover. Authorities say Balmer broke into the property and set fire to the residence. In a 911 call made after the blaze began, Balmer reportedly admitted to setting the fire because of what he claimed Shapiro “wants to do to the Palestinian people,” according to audio obtained by FOX29 Philadelphia. Investigators also said Balmer told them he planned to attack Shapiro with a hammer if he found him inside.
Officials said Balmer confessed to harboring hatred toward Shapiro, a prominent Democrat and vocal supporter of Israel following the October 7 Hamas terrorist attacks. (RELATED: CNN Anchor Issues Apology After Claiming Freed Israeli Hostages Were ‘Treated Better’ Than Gazans)
At a press conference after the guilty plea, Shapiro called for accountability, saying the public must not become desensitized to “political violence.”
“Sadly, as you know, our family is not the only ones to experience political violence, violence that is used to try and silence people or intimidate people,” Shapiro said. “I think it’s important that in this time of rising political violence, that none of us grow numb to it or accept this as the normal course of doing business for elected officials.”
The Governor said his family continues to struggle emotionally in the aftermath of the attack.
“We will forever be changed by this,” Shapiro said. “We know that time will heal, but the scars will remain.”
Shapiro added that faith has been central to his family’s recovery and thanked law enforcement officers and first responders who protected them that night.
“I want you to know we’ve leaned a lot on our faith these past six months to try and work through this,” he said. “We’ve also leaned on the faith of so many others in the process.”
Democrats are TERRORISTS!