Who is Cody Allen Balmer, man accused of attack on Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro's home
Cody Balmer, 38, of Harrisburg, Pa., was denied bail at his arraignment on Monday after being accused of setting fire to the Pennsylvania Governor’s mansion early Sunday morning while Gov. Josh Shapiro and his family slept inside.
According to court documents reviewed by The Hill, Balmer had been involved in several incidents in recent years and was due in court this week for a domestic violence charge.
In connection to the first at the Shapiro residence, Balmer was arrested on Sunday and later charged with attempted murder, terrorism, aggravated arson and aggravated assault against an enumerated person, burglary and other counts.
Shapiro announced Sunday that at about 2 a.m. on Sunday morning, his family woke up to Pennsylvania State Police banging on the front door. The local fire department successfully extinguished the fire, but it caused a “significant amount of damage” to the house, he said.
Security footage showed a man breaking a window into the home and throwing a homemade Molotov cocktail.
The incident took place on Passover, a major Jewish holiday. Shapiro, a finalist to be Vice President Kamala Harris's running mate last year, is Jewish.
Before Balmer’s arrest, he was already due to report to court on Wednesday on charges related to domestic assault allegations.
According to a police affidavit from January 2023, police were dispatched to Balmer’s residence after a child called about domestic abuse. The responding officers were told by Balmer that he had taken a full bottle of pills in an attempt to kill himself.
An argument between Balmer and his wife ensued when she tried to intervene. He then allegedly assaulted both his wife and stepson.
A divorce record showed Balmer and his wife finalized their divorce in February 2025 and he was subject to a protection from abuse order, USA Today reported.
Balmer’s mother told The Associated Press that she had made calls in recent days about his mental health issues, but “nobody would help.” She spoke about his mental health issues and his his lack of taking medication, but Balmer had previously said in court he did not have a mental illness.
Balmer also had several other violations in Pennsylvania, including having expired registration and driving while a license was suspended or revoked, as well as forgery.
He pleaded guilty to forgery in 2016 and was sentenced to 18 months of probation.
Social media pages connected to Balmer, reviewed by law enforcement, show a mix of critiques of both President Trump and former President Biden, ABC News reported.
The fire set to Shapiro’s house is just the latest in an escalation of political attacks toward lawmakers and various officials.
The attacks include two separate assassination attempts on Trump, including the one in Butler, Pa., where a man was killed and Trump himself was wounded.