HARRISBURG, Pa. — The Dauphin County District Attorney’s Office announced that Cody Balmer, 38, pleaded guilty to attempted murder of Governor Josh Shapiro, aggravated arson, and 22 counts of arson, one for each of the 22 victims endangered in the residence, as well as burglary and related charges.
Balmer was sentenced to 25 to 50 years in prison under a plea agreement from District Attorney Fran Chardo. He will not be eligible for parole until April 13, 2050, at the age of 63, and would remain under supervision through April 13, 2075, if paroled.
According to prosecutors, Balmer was arrested in April after he told dispatchers that Governor Shapiro “will not take part in his plans for what he wants to do to the Palestinian people” and confessed his intent to attack.
In the early hours of April 13, 2025, Balmer allegedly scaled the fence at the Governor’s Residence at 2035 N. Front Street in Harrisburg. Carrying two Molotov cocktails and a sledgehammer, he broke a window, threw a flaming device inside, and entered the residence through another broken window.
Video evidence reportedly shows that just 34 seconds elapsed between the first fire and Balmer’s forced entry. Authorities later recovered the jacket and sledgehammer used in the attack from his home.
Balmer previously faced charges of assault, forgery, and traffic offenses before this incident.
