A suspect is in custody in connection with the overnight fire at the governor’s residence in Pennsylvania that is being investigated as arson, the Pennsylvania State Police announced during a press conference on Sunday.
Gov. Josh Shapiro and his family were in the residence at the time of the fire, which was reported at about 2 a.m. ET. They were evacuated safely and were not injured, according to state police.
The suspect was identified as 38-year-old Cody Balmer, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Dauphin County DA Fran Chardo said during the press conference.
Chardo said charges, set to be filed Sunday, will include attempted murder, terrorism, aggravated arson and aggravated assault against an enumerated person.
“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. 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,” Shapiro said in a statement.
Investigators are on the scene after an overnight fire at the governor’s official residence on Sunday, April 13, 2025 in Harrisburg, Pa. (AP Photo/Marc Levy)
Marc Levy/AP
“Thank God no one was injured and the fire was extinguished,” he added.
The state police said that while the investigation is continuing, “the State Police is prepared to say at this time that this was an act of arson.”
The fire caused “a significant amount of damage” to part of the residence, according to state police.
As they work to determine a motive behind the alleged arson attack, authorities are looking at whether it could have been fueled by the fact that Gov. Shapiro is Jewish and the blaze was set on the first night of Passover, a senior law enforcement official briefed on the investigation told ABC News.
Governor Josh Shapiro speaks during a news conference regarding the shooting at UPMC Memorial Hospital in York, Pa. on Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)
Matt Rourke/AP
Just hours before the fire, the Pennsylvania governor had posted a picture of his family’s Passover Seder table on X, writing, “From the Shapiro family’s Seder table to yours, happy Passover and Chag Pesach Sameach!”
The Pennsylvania State Police is offering a reward of up to $10,000 for the arrest and conviction of those responsible for the fire.
Shapiro was elected Pennsylvania governor in 2022 and was considered as vice president for 2024 Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris before she eventually chose Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. Shapiro served two terms as the state’s attorney general before being elected governor.
