Shapiro Responds to Arson Incident: "Nothing will deter me from practicing my faith"
The Pennsylvania governor's mansion experienced substantial damage due to a fire.
TroibNews 
Cody Balmer has been charged with setting fire to the Pennsylvania governor’s residence, a crime he allegedly committed out of the belief that Gov. Josh Shapiro was facilitating ongoing violence against the Palestinian people, based on a police search warrant released on Wednesday.
In the warrant, Balmer reportedly confessed to the arson, stating that Shapiro “needs to know that he ‘will not take part in his plans for what he wants to do to the Palestinian people.’”
In a press briefing following the warrant's release, Shapiro, who is Jewish, described the attack as alarming for him and his family but asserted that “nothing” the perpetrator “could do would deter me from doing my job as governor, nothing he could do would deter me from proudly and openly practicing my faith.”
Shapiro urged a unified condemnation of violence across all political sides, declaring, “This level of violence has to end.”
He further commented, “I know that there are people out there who want to ascribe their own viewpoints as to what happened here and why. I know there are people out there who want to adopt their own political viewpoints, or their own worldview as to what happened and why. I choose not to participate in that. I said after the assassination attempt on the president in Butler, I said in Altoona after we captured the individual who shot and killed a U.S. health care CEO, and I said on Sunday that this kind of violence has no place in our society, regardless of what motivates it.”
The fire occurred over the weekend while Shapiro, his family, guests, and staff were inside the governor’s mansion. Balmer has been charged with multiple offenses including attempted homicide, terrorism, and arson. The blaze inflicted significant damage to a dining room, but authorities confirmed that no one was injured.
Shapiro has faced criticism from the left wing of his party for his support of Israel, particularly during his consideration as a potential running mate for Vice President Kamala Harris. He has consistently supported Israel's right to self-defense following the October 7 attacks, while also strongly criticizing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, referring to him as "one of the worst leaders of all time" who is not committed to peace. Shapiro has clarified his position on a college opinion piece in which he described Palestinians as "battle-minded," emphasizing his support for a two-state solution.
He previously criticized then-University of Pennsylvania President Liz Magill for a "failure of leadership" in addressing incidents of antisemitism on campus. In an April 2024 interview, he expressed concern that American campuses "can’t guarantee the safety and security of their students," and likened protests outside a Philadelphia falafel restaurant to "1930s Germany stuff," referencing chants accusing others of "genocide."
“We’ve seen a rise in antisemitism and Islamophobia,” Shapiro stated then. “I think it is incumbent upon anyone — a governor or anyone else — to speak and act with moral clarity when they see these issues.”
According to the search warrant, Balmer allegedly crafted homemade Molotov cocktails using old Heineken bottles and gasoline from a lawn mower, walking over an hour from his home to the governor’s residence. He reportedly scaled a fence, broke two windows with a hammer, and threw the Molotov cocktails inside.
Balmer’s brother informed the Associated Press that Balmer has had longstanding mental health issues, having been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and treated twice in a psychiatric facility, though he has rejected the diagnosis and refused medication.
When asked if he knew the governor and his family were home during the attack, Balmer reportedly acknowledged the possibility, expressing that he would have attacked Shapiro with a hammer had he encountered him inside.
Shapiro did not comment on whether he believes Balmer should face hate crime charges, stating to a reporter that the decision was “not my call.”
During a Wednesday morning briefing, Attorney General Pam Bondi revealed that both she and FBI Director Kash Patel had communicated with Shapiro, affirming that federal authorities would support the state's investigation. Bondi described the attack as "absolutely horrific" but avoided a question regarding whether it should be classified as "domestic terrorism," a term she had previously used to describe vandalism against Tesla vehicles during protests against Elon Musk.
Mathilde Moreau for TROIB News
In the warrant, Balmer reportedly confessed to the arson, stating that Shapiro “needs to know that he ‘will not take part in his plans for what he wants to do to the Palestinian people.’”
In a press briefing following the warrant's release, Shapiro, who is Jewish, described the attack as alarming for him and his family but asserted that “nothing” the perpetrator “could do would deter me from doing my job as governor, nothing he could do would deter me from proudly and openly practicing my faith.”
Shapiro urged a unified condemnation of violence across all political sides, declaring, “This level of violence has to end.”
He further commented, “I know that there are people out there who want to ascribe their own viewpoints as to what happened here and why. I know there are people out there who want to adopt their own political viewpoints, or their own worldview as to what happened and why. I choose not to participate in that. I said after the assassination attempt on the president in Butler, I said in Altoona after we captured the individual who shot and killed a U.S. health care CEO, and I said on Sunday that this kind of violence has no place in our society, regardless of what motivates it.”
The fire occurred over the weekend while Shapiro, his family, guests, and staff were inside the governor’s mansion. Balmer has been charged with multiple offenses including attempted homicide, terrorism, and arson. The blaze inflicted significant damage to a dining room, but authorities confirmed that no one was injured.
Shapiro has faced criticism from the left wing of his party for his support of Israel, particularly during his consideration as a potential running mate for Vice President Kamala Harris. He has consistently supported Israel's right to self-defense following the October 7 attacks, while also strongly criticizing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, referring to him as "one of the worst leaders of all time" who is not committed to peace. Shapiro has clarified his position on a college opinion piece in which he described Palestinians as "battle-minded," emphasizing his support for a two-state solution.
He previously criticized then-University of Pennsylvania President Liz Magill for a "failure of leadership" in addressing incidents of antisemitism on campus. In an April 2024 interview, he expressed concern that American campuses "can’t guarantee the safety and security of their students," and likened protests outside a Philadelphia falafel restaurant to "1930s Germany stuff," referencing chants accusing others of "genocide."
“We’ve seen a rise in antisemitism and Islamophobia,” Shapiro stated then. “I think it is incumbent upon anyone — a governor or anyone else — to speak and act with moral clarity when they see these issues.”
According to the search warrant, Balmer allegedly crafted homemade Molotov cocktails using old Heineken bottles and gasoline from a lawn mower, walking over an hour from his home to the governor’s residence. He reportedly scaled a fence, broke two windows with a hammer, and threw the Molotov cocktails inside.
Balmer’s brother informed the Associated Press that Balmer has had longstanding mental health issues, having been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and treated twice in a psychiatric facility, though he has rejected the diagnosis and refused medication.
When asked if he knew the governor and his family were home during the attack, Balmer reportedly acknowledged the possibility, expressing that he would have attacked Shapiro with a hammer had he encountered him inside.
Shapiro did not comment on whether he believes Balmer should face hate crime charges, stating to a reporter that the decision was “not my call.”
During a Wednesday morning briefing, Attorney General Pam Bondi revealed that both she and FBI Director Kash Patel had communicated with Shapiro, affirming that federal authorities would support the state's investigation. Bondi described the attack as "absolutely horrific" but avoided a question regarding whether it should be classified as "domestic terrorism," a term she had previously used to describe vandalism against Tesla vehicles during protests against Elon Musk.
Mathilde Moreau for TROIB News
