HARRISBURG, Pa – Pennsylvania State Police are investigating an act of arson carried out at the Governor’s Residence in Harrisburg while Gov. Josh Shapiro and his family were sleeping inside.
What we know:
Crews responded to reports of a fire at the Governor’s Residence on North Front Street around 2 a.m.
The fire was extinguished, but caused signigicant damage to parts of the home.
Gov. Shaprio and his family were in different parts of the residence as the fire broke out.
However, they were all safely evacuated and not injured.
State police say this was an act of arson, and offered a $10,000 reward for any information leading to an arrest.
In an update Sunday, police say they arrested 38-year-old Cody Balmer of Harrisburg for the arson.
Officials say Balmer hopped over the fence, broke into the residence and set the fire using a homemade device. The act occurred over several minutes.
Balmer evaded an active search on the property and hopped over the fence to escape the scene, officials say.
After further investigation, police located and apprehended Balmer in Harrisburg Sunday afternoon.
He will be charged with attempted murder, terrorism, aggravated arson and aggravated assault.
Police do not anticipate issuing any conspiracy charges.
What they’re saying:
Gov. Shapiro says he and his family were woken up by bangs on the door around 2 a.m. by state police after an “arsonist set fire” to the Governor’s Residence.
The governor thanked local law enforcement for their quick actions to rescue him and his family in a statement on X.
“Thank God no one was injured and the fire was extinguished,” Shapiro said. “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. Pennsylvania State Police is on the scene leading this investigation and will keep the public updated.”
What’s next:
A criminal complaint and affidavit will be filed and released Sunday.
This investigation will be fleshed out by PSP, the FBI and other law enforcement agencies.
The Source: Information from this article was provided by the Pennsylvania State Police and Gov. Josh Shapiro.
