Suspect in arson attack at Gov. Josh Shapiro's home was 'harboring hatred'
The man charged in the
arson attack on the home of Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro told police was "harboring hatred" for the public official and would have hit him with a hammer had he encountered him in the residence, court documents say.
Cody Balmer, 38, faces multiple charges in connection with the April 13 attack, including attempted murder, aggravated arson, burglary and terrorism, among other charges, according to Dauphin County District Attorney
Francis Chardo.
Balmer's mother told several news outlets that her son struggles with his mental health and that she had recently tried to get him assistance.
“He wasn’t taking his medicine, and that’s all I want to say,” Christie Balmer told
the Associated Press from the family home in Harrisburg.
Balmer, who described himself as a certified master mechanic on social media, has previously been charged with assault and forgery as well as several traffic violations in Pennsylvania. He received 18 months of probation for the forgery charge and has a pending assault charge for which he was scheduled to appear in court this week.
In June 2023, Balmer and a woman split and filed a custody suit in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania. Balmer took primary custody of a 5- and 2-year-old, according to court documents. The woman did not immediately return messages seeking comment on Monday.
Several posts on Balmer's Facebook page appear to mock former President
Joe Biden including a 2021 meme that said, "Joe Biden owes me 2 grand," and "RIP Joe Biden... Whoops that's in may, #Notmypresidenteither."
But Balmer does not appear to be a Trump supporter either. In a March 2021 response to a meme he posted about gas prices, Balmer wrote: "Buck 85, but I said the same (expletive) when Trump took office. I don't play favorites especially since they all suck."
Online records show Balmer is registered as an active voter, but did not declare a political party; he last voted in the 2022 General Election.
Suspect in arson attack at Gov. Josh Shapiro's home was 'harboring hatred': Live updates