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A suspect has been arrested in relation to the suspect arson incident at the Pennsylvania governor's mansion, the Associated Press reports via the Huffington Post.
Cody Balmer, 38, of Harrisburg, was identified as the man responsible for the fire set at the home of Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro overnight while he and his family were sleeping. Balmer is reported to face charges of attempted murder, terrorism, attempted arson and aggravated assault, according to Dauphin County District Attorney Francis Chardo.
Balmer is reportedly suspected to have hopped over a fence surrounding the mansion and forcibly entering before setting the home on fire. Shapiro announced that he and his family were forced to evacuate the governor's mansion after an arsonist set it on fire overnight while they were sleeping in a post shared on his X account Sunday (April 13) morning.
"Last night at about 2AM, my family and I woke up to bangs on the door from the Pennsylvania State Police after an arsonist set fire to the Governor’s Residence in Harrisburg," Shapiro wrote. "The Harrisburg Bureau of Fire was on the scene and while they worked to put out the fire, we were evacuated from the Residence safely by Pennsylvania State Police and assisted by Capitol Police. Thank God no one was injured and the fire was extinguished.
"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.
@PAStatePolice is on the scene leading this investigation and will keep the public updated."
The incident took place hours after Shapiro, who is Jewish, shared a photo of his family's Seder table for the first night of Passover.
The fire was deemed to be an "act of arson" resulting in a "significant amount of damage" to the Harrisburg residence, Pennsylvania State Police confirmed via the New York Post. The governor and his family were all reportedly sleeping in a different part of the home when the fire was lit.
Shapiro is widely regarded as a top contender for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2028, having previously been strongly considered to serve as former Vice President Kamala Harris' running mate during the 2024 presidential election.