Gov. Josh Shapiro and his family evacuated after setting fire at Pennsylvania residence
The Pennsylvania government arrested a 38-year-old Harrisburg man and said he caught fire at the Pennsylvania governor’s mansion, forcing Governor Josh Shapiro and his family to evacuate earlier Sunday, before the fire severely damaged part of the building.
The man, identified as 38-year-old Cody Balmer, jumped a fence on the fence and managed to escape from state police while breaking into the building and raising a fire. He fled the scene and was arrested in Harrisburg on Sunday afternoon, officials said in a news conference.
Officials said Mr. Balmer was detained and expected to be charged with murder, arson and terrorism.
At a press conference outside the mansion, Gov. Shapiro, a Democrat who listed national visibility last year among Kamala Harris’ possible running mates, said the FBI helped in the investigation.
Mr Shapiro recalls the moment a state policeman crashed into his doorstep shortly after 2 a.m., awakened him and his family and drove them to a fire attack he called “target.”
“Last night, we were attacked not only throughout the entire Union of Pennsylvania, but throughout Pennsylvania,” Mr. Shapiro said. “I hope you all know that your prayers cheer us up and that in the dark moments we choose to see the light.”
“This kind of violence is not OK,” Mr Shapiro added. “If it was from one particular side or the other, I wouldn’t give me damn it. It doesn’t work. It has to stop. We have to be better than that.”
State police said in a statement that the fire “caused a huge damage to a part of the residence.”
Hours before the fire, Mr. Shapiro, who also has a house north of Philadelphia, wrote on social media that he and his family are marking the Passover, which begins at sunset on Saturday.
Images posted on social media show firefighters are fighting the fire. Part of the mansion was covered by black smoke and some windows were broken.
Bryan Flores, 37, a neighbor across the street from the residence said he woke up shortly after 2 a.m. and saw a lot of reactions from police and firefighters outside. “We woke up with sirens, lights and stuff,” Flores said. He added that the incident appeared to be under control at the time.
Mr. Shapiro served as state attorney general for six years before being elected governor in 2022, at least previously a threatening target. In November 2023, police arrested a man who said they sent him a threatening email, according to a report from the Pennsylvania State Police Department. It is not clear whether the man was charged with the incident.
According to the state government, the governor’s residence is a 29,000-square-foot Georgian-style building that was completed in 1968. Its landscaped ground occupies an entire block about a mile and a half from the State Capitol building.
The public was able to visit the residence, which was displayed on the first floor with artworks and artifacts.
Polls show that recent violence against politicians has caused fear and uneasiness among Americans recently. Before last year’s presidential election, about four in 10 voters said they were extremely or very worried about violent attempts to challenge the outcome. Last summer, the assassination attempt against President Trump took place in Butler, Pennsylvania, 200 miles west of Harrisburg.
Other serious incidents include the 2020 kidnapping of Gretchen Whitmer, Michigan, and the 2023 invasion and attack at Nancy Pelosi’s home that seriously hurt former House Speaker Paul.
Despite the increasing intensity and polarization of American politics in recent years, research shows that despite a few episodes that have attracted widespread attention and alarm, the violence of extremism in the United States has actually declined. Scholars who study the issue say the political climate has not become more extensive.
Campbell Robertson and Allison Beck contributed the report. Susan Beachy contributed the research.
