Pennsylvania governor details arson attack on his home after Passover Seder

The Guardian

23-04-2025

Pennsylvania's governor, Josh Shapiro, has for the first time revealed details of the April arson attack against his residence, describing shattered windows, melted furniture and artwork 'disintegrated into walls' after an intruder firebombed his family home following their Passover celebration.
'Windows were smashed in, and there was glass everywhere. Some tables were turned over, and others had just melted away,' Shapiro wrote in an essay in The New York Times on Wednesday. 'The devastation was shocking, and to me, it did not appear to be an accident. The damage was too extreme. It looked like a bomb had gone off in the middle of our home.'
The Democratic governor recounted being awakened at 2am by a state trooper banging on their door, telling the family they needed to evacuate immediately. Shapiro and his wife rushed to gather their children and dogs before fleeing down a back stairwell to safety.
When allowed back inside to view the damage, Shapiro saw an eerily quiet scene with water dripping from the ceiling and his feet 'sloshing on the soaked floor'. He said the state dining room, where the family had hosted their Seder just hours before, was unrecognizable.
'Artwork from the New Deal era that had hung on display for visitors to enjoy had disintegrated into the walls,' he wrote. 'Plates we had eaten our Seder dinner on were broken and covered in soot. The Haggadah — our prayer book for the Seder — was burned so badly, only a few short lines of text were recognizable.'
According to authorities, 38-year-old Cody Balmer allegedly scaled a fence, broke windows with a hammer and used homemade Molotov cocktails fashioned from Heineken bottles filled with gasoline to set multiple fires in the mansion. Police said surveillance footage captured Balmer breaking in and fleeing the scene.
Balmer was arrested the same day after allegedly confessing to an ex-girlfriend. During questioning, he reportedly admitted 'harboring hatred' toward Shapiro and told investigators he would have attacked the governor with a hammer had he encountered him.
The suspect faces multiple charges including attempted murder, terrorism, and aggravated arson. He was denied bail at his initial court appearance and could face additional federal charges.
In his essay, Shapiro explained that hours after the suspect's arrest, his family proceeded with their second planned Passover Seder, saying how the attack would not deter him from his duties or from practicing his faith 'openly and proudly'.
The governor told reporters on Tuesday that Donald Trump had called him a few days after the attack to check on his family, saying the president 'was very gracious'.
His essay concluded with a plea to address political violence in the country, writing: 'this level of violence has to stop. It is our shared responsibility to do better.'