Topline
Cody Balmer, who is suspected of setting Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro’s home on fire over the weekend, said his motivation for the attack was Shapiro’s stance on the death of Palestinians in Gaza, according to a search warrant from police.
This image provided by Commonwealth Media Services shows damage after a fire at the Pennsylvania … More
Key Facts
A search warrant made public Wednesday said Balmer made contact with Dauphin County 911 at 2:50 a.m. EDT on Sunday—shortly after the attack—and said Shapiro needed to know that Balmer “will not take part in his plans for what he wants to do to the Palestinian people.”
Balmer also said he needed to “stop having my friends killed” and that “our people have been put through too much by that monster.”
Before the call ended, Balmer said he was not hiding and would “confess to everything that I had done,” according to the warrant.
As a result of the call, the police requested in the search warrant to seize electronics and any writings or notes that mentioned Shapiro or had “reference to Palestine, Gaza, Israel or the current conflict in Gaza.”
The search warrant yielded four smartphones, one laptop and one external hard drive that are being investigated, according to the warrant.
This story is developing and will be updated.
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News Peg
Early Sunday morning, someone broke in and set fire to the Pennsylvania governor’s mansion while Shapiro, his family and guests were home, though they were evacuated and no injuries were reported. Balmer, 38, turned himself in to police later in the day and was arrested and denied bail. Police allege Balmer climbed a fence, broke a window and threw “an incendiary device into the residence” before breaking another window and entering the home, where he “deployed a second incendiary device,” according to the warrant.
What Charges Does Balmer Face?
Balmer was charged with attempted homicide, terrorism and aggravated arson, among other counts, multiple outlets reported.
Further Reading
Suspect in Pa. Governor’s Mansion Arson Cited Treatment of Palestinians, Police Say (New York Times)