Cody Balmer, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, was arrested Sunday after officials said he hopped a fence and intentionally set the fire around 2 a.m. on April 13. Shapiro and his family were home at the time, and had just celebrated the first night of Passover inside the residence the night before. The governor said Sunday that no one was injured.
Pennsylvania State Police 
Court documents filed in Dauphin County show Balmer, 38, was officially charged with criminal homicide (attempted murder), terrorism, aggravated arson, aggravated assault, burglary and other counts. Pennsylvania State Police said Monday that Balmer is currently being treated at a hospital for a “medical event not related to this incident or his arrest,” and will be arraigned at the Dauphin County Prison after being discharged.
“This weekend, our family witnessed the incredible bravery and excellence of our first responders,” Gov. Shapiro said in a social media post Monday. “The entire Shapiro family is eternally grateful for the @PAStatePolice troopers who safely evacuated our family from danger, the firefighters who quickly put out the fire at the Governor’s Residence, and the law enforcement officials who’ve worked to investigate this attack.”
Over the weekend, Shapiro expressed his gratitude for the prayers and “messages of support” his family received in the wake of the fire. “I want you all to know that your prayers lift us up, and in this moment of darkness, we are choosing to see light. We appreciate the light that you have shined upon us,” he said.
Harrisburg Fire Chief Brian Enterline estimated Monday that the damage to the historic residence will be in the millions. The 29,000-square-foot home was completed along the Susquehanna River waterfront in 1968 and houses a number of historic pieces of artwork and furniture.
Enterline added that if a door separating the main state dining room, which is where the Shapiros celebrated Passover, hadn’t been closed at the time of the fire, the flames would have spread further into the residence and put the family at greater risk.
“[Balmer] is a domestic terrorist,” Enterline said. “And I hope he spends a lot of time behind jail for the heinous acts that he performed here in our capital city that put not only the first family, but my firefighters at risk.”
In the Oval Office on Monday, President Trump condemned the attack.
“The attacker basically wasn’t a fan of anybody, probably just a whack job,” Trump said. “And certainly a thing like that cannot be allowed to happen.”
How did police identify Cody Balmer?
According to charging documents, during their investigation, Pennsylvania State Police were contacted by a woman who described Balmer as her “ex-paramour” and told officers that Balmer was responsible for setting the fire. When asked why she believed Balmer was responsible, the woman told investigators that he confessed to her and wanted her to turn him in to police, the complaint said.
A short time later, Balmer went to the Pennsylvania State Police Headquarters on Elmerton Avenue in Harrisburg and, according to charging documents, told a trooper he set the fire and wanted to turn himself in.
How did Cody Balmer get into the Governor’s Residence?
Prior to making contact with Balmer, Pennsylvania State Police Lt. Col. George Bivens said Sunday that the suspected arsonist climbed over a fence and “evaded troopers” as they searched for him on the property before the fire.
Security footage from inside and outside the residence captured a man, later identified as Balmer, breaking a window in the home’s piano room and throwing a homemade Molotov cocktail into the house. Court documents said Balmer then broke another window, climbed into the residence and set off another incendiary device in the dining room.
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania 
Balmer then left through the dining room door and was seen on camera running from the Governor’s Residence. Bivens said Balmer was inside the house for less than one minute.
Additional footage from privately owned security cameras in the area helped investigators track Balmer’s movements and find a discarded pair of gloves he was seen wearing in videos while setting the fires, investigators said.
When asked about how Balmer was able to climb over the fence and evade security before entering the mansion, Enterline said that question would need to be answered by state police and the governor’s detail.
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania 
Balmer told police he would’ve “beaten him with a hammer” if caught by Gov. Shapiro inside the residence, documents say
During an interview with Pennsylvania State Police, Balmer admitted he hated Gov. Shapiro, removed gasoline from a lawn mower and poured it into beer bottles before walking an hour to the Governor’s Residence and throwing the homemade Molotov cocktails into the home, the criminal complaint said.
Balmer also told investigators that he knew it was possible the Shapiros would be home at the time.
“We have a beautiful capital down there that you can picket at, that you can storm whenever you want with your picket signs and your anger,” Enterline said, “but it’s got to stop before your want to fire bomb an elected official, or anyone for that matter.”
When asked what he would’ve done if confronted by the governor while inside the residence, the complaint said Balmer stated he would’ve “beaten him with his hammer.” During a search of Balmer’s home, police found the sledgehammer seen in surveillance video, along with the clothes Balmer was seen wearing during the attack.
Who is Cody Balmer?
Cody Balmer, a 38-year-old who’s a longtime Harrisburg resident, spent eight years as a construction equipment repairer in the Army Reserve, according to an Army spokesperson.
Public records point to an unstable background for Balmer, including custody battles over his kids and a near foreclosure on a home.
His public Facebook profile shows everything from family photos to memes.
In 2022, a post was shared showing a crochet pattern depicting a Molotov cocktail and the words, “Be the light you want to see in the world.”
Court records show Balmer pleaded guilty a decade ago to a scheme involving forged documents.
In 2023, he was arrested and charged with assault in connection with a violent domestic dispute involving his wife and son. According to the affidavit, Balmer told investigators he had taken a bottle of pills in an attempt to kill himself. That case is ongoing.
Late Sunday night, an auto-repair shop where Balmer is believed to have worked in the past posted to Facebook, “In light of current events regarding a former employee of ours, we would like to say that he has not worked for us for over two years. While we are saddened to learn of these current charges, we fully support our men and women in law enforcement as well as our government officials. We have no further comment at this time.”
Balmer’s voter registration record is active and not affiliated with a party.
Cody Balmer’s mother says her son is “mentally ill”
Christie Balmer told CBS News that her son is “mentally ill and he went off his medication” before the attack on the Governor’s Residence and that she had tried to get her son “picked up” last week by four different police departments.
According to Christie Balmer, she couldn’t get anybody to help.
“So he was mentally ill, went off his meds, and this is what happened,” she said.
Anyone with additional information is asked to contact PSP at 1-800-4PA TIPS (1-800-472-8477).