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Cody Balmer and the destroyed section of the governor's residence
(Photo: Pennsylvania state police, HANDOUT / DAUPHIN COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE / AFP)
At the time of the fire, the governor and his family were asleep in another part of the residence. They were awakened by police officers banging on the door at 2:00 a.m. and were quickly evacuated as firefighters worked to extinguish the flames.
At 2:50 a.m., nearly an hour after the fire was started, Balmer called 911turned himself in. During the call, he stated that Shapiro needed to know that he was "not going to take part in the plan of what he wants to do to the Palestinian people." He added that he wanted "my friends to stop dying" and referred again to Gov. Shapiro, saying: "My people have suffered too much because of this monster."
Balmer, who had previously undergone treatment for mental health issues and is also accused of assaulting family members, concluded the call by saying: "You know where to find me. I’m not hiding, and I will admit to everything I’ve done."
In his interrogation, Balmer confessed to harboring hate toward Shapiro and told investigators that he would have "hit him with a hammer" if he had encountered him at the mansion that night.
Balmer described how, on the night of the incident, he filled beer bottles with gasoline he had taken from a lawnmower. He then walked for about an hour from his home to the governor's mansion. Upon arriving, he climbed an iron security fence, broke two windows with a hammer, and threw the Molotov cocktails inside. He then entered the house to further spread the fire. His actions were captured on a security camera.
On his end, Governor Shapiro was defiant in his response: “If he was trying to terrorize our family, our friends, the Jewish community, who joined us for a Passover Seder in that room last night, hear me on this: we celebrated our faith last night, proudly and in a few hours, we will celebrate our second Seder of Passover.”
Josh Shapiro's stance on Gaza war
The governor has drawn significant criticism from progressives for his unwavering support of Israel during the ongoing Gaza war. Shapiro has taken bold stances, such as backing Israeli government actions, likening some pro-Palestinian protesters to the Ku Klux Klan and supporting efforts to penalize institutions that divest from Israel.
However, his critics argue that his approach lacks balance, as he has not sufficiently condemned the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Notably, Shapiro’s past writings as a college student, where he expressed deep skepticism about Palestinian self-determination, have resurfaced, fueling accusations of bias.
