Pennsylvania police arrest suspect after governor’s mansion set on fire while Gov Josh Shapiro, family slept

A man was arrested after allegedly setting fire to the Pennsylvania governor’s mansion as Gov. Josh Shapiro and his family slept inside early Sunday morning.

At a press conference Sunday evening, authorities named 38-year-old Cody Balmer as the suspect.

Balmer will be charged with attempted murder, terrorism, aggravated arson and aggravated assault against an enumerated person, according to officials.

The fire broke out overnight after Shapiro, considered a potential presidential contender for the Democratic Party in 2028, and his family celebrated the first night of the Jewish holiday of Passover.

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Shapiro posted on X that he and his family awoke at about 2 a.m. to police banging on their door after “an arsonist set fire” to the governor’s residence.

“Thank God no one was injured and the fire was extinguished,” Shapiro wrote. “Every day, we stand with the law enforcement and first responders who run towards danger to protect our communities. Last night, they did so for our family – and Lori and I are eternally grateful to them for keeping us safe.”

Firefighters and police responded around 2 a.m. to a report of a fire at the governor’s residence in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania State Police said. 

No one was injured and the fire was extinguished, police said, adding that the fire caused significant damage to a portion of the residence.

“While the investigation is ongoing, the State Police is prepared to say at this time that this was an act of arson,” police said. 

At the Sunday press conference, Shapiro denounced the arson in a set of emotional remarks.

“This kind of violence is becoming far too common in our society,” the politician said. “And I don’t give a damn if it’s coming from one particular side or the other, directed at one particular party or another, or one particular person or another. It is not okay and it has to stop. We have to be better than this.”

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Before Balmer’s arrest, police offered a $10,000 reward for the arrest and conviction of the individual or individuals responsible for the fire.