Authorities apprehended a suspect after a suspected arson forced Gov. Josh Shapiro and his family out of their official Harrisburg residence early Sunday morning, Pennsylvania State Police said.
Firefighters responded to the blaze at around 2 a.m., according to authorities. State troopers awoke the Shapiro family, who were in a different section of the mansion, and helped them evacuate, officials said. No one was injured, though the flames “caused a significant amount of damage” to a portion of the property, State Police said in a statement.
Authorities, during a late afternoon news conference, announced the arrest of 38-year-old Cody Balmer, who has a Harrisburg address. He is accused of climbing a fence, breaking into the building and deploying “homemade incendiary devices,” Lieutenant Colonel George Bivens told reporters.
Officials declined to discuss Balmer’s alleged motive, saying more information would be provided through forthcoming court documents. Investigators did say the arson appeared to be targeted and planned, with the suspect executing the attack within minutes.
Dauphin County District Attorney Francis T. Chardo said he intends to charge Balmer with attempted murder, terrorism, aggravated arson and related crimes.
He was taken into custody Sunday in Harrisburg, according to state police. Security teams were aware that an intruder was on the property at the time but were unable to apprehend him before he set the blaze and hopped back over the perimeter, officials added.
Shapiro, during Sunday’s news conference, characterized the incident as “an attack not just on our family, but on the entire Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.”
The governor said he spoke with President Donald Trump’s FBI director, Kash Patel, who promised federal law enforcement resources to aid in the investigation.
Shapiro, who is Jewish, gathered family and friends in the part of the house that was destroyed Saturday evening for a Seder meal, marking the first night of Passover.
“No one will deter me or my family or any Pennsylvanian from celebrating their faith openly and proudly,” the governor added.
The timing raised fears that the attacker was motivated by antisemitism, amid a rise in hate against the Jewish community across the country. Authorities have not said whether Shapiro’s religion played a role in the suspect’s motive.
“While we wait to learn more, this much is clear: the targeting of a public official and his family — especially a prominent Jewish official on a major Jewish holiday — is unconscionable and has no place in our country,” said former U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, whose name often appears alongside Shapiro’s as potential future Democratic Party presidential candidates.
Others likened the incident to other instances of political violence in recent years.
“I won’t speculate on motivations, but I will say that targeting elected officials and their family members with violence is never acceptable,” Lt. Gov. Austin Davis said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter. “These sorts of acts deter good people from pursuing public service at a time when we desperately need more Americans to participate in our democracy.”
“I am grateful that the Governor and his family are safe and condemn these acts,” state Sen. Greg Rothman, chairman of the Pennsylvania GOP, wrote on X. “The culprit should be punished to the fullest extent of the law.”
Mark Schweiker, who served as Pennsylvania governor from 2001 to 2003, issued a statement describing the arson as “a despicable act of cowardice.”
Messages of condemnation and support also came in from Mayor Cherelle Parker, Pennsylvania U.S. Sen. Dave McCormick and other elected leaders.
The 29,000-square-foot home is located in Harrisburg’s Uptown neighborhood and hosts art exhibits, in addition to the official residence.
