2025 Pennsylvania Governor's Residence arson
The Pennsylvania Governor's Residence (shown in 2010), scene of the 2025 political assassination attempt | |
| Date | April 13, 2025 |
|---|---|
| Time | c. 2 a.m. (EDT) |
| Location | Pennsylvania Governor's Residence, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania |
| Coordinates | 40°16′38″N 76°53′55″W / 40.2773°N 76.8985°W |
| Also known as | Attempted assassination of Josh Shapiro |
| Perpetrator | Cody Allen Balmer |
| Deaths | 0 |
| Non-fatal injuries | 0 |
| Property damage | Heavy damage to a portion of the home |
| Charges | Attempted murder, terrorism, aggravated arson, aggravated assault |
| Verdict | Pled guilty |
| Sentence | 25 to 50 years in prison (parole eligibility beginning April 13, 2050) |
On Sunday, April 13, 2025, part of the Pennsylvania Governor's Residence was set on fire in a political assassination attempt while Governor Josh Shapiro and his family slept inside. The perpetrator, 38-year-old Cody Allen Balmer (born March 23, 1987), a former mechanic from nearby Penbrook, Pennsylvania, was later arrested and charged with terrorism, attempted murder, aggravated arson, and aggravated assault after he turned himself in to the police.
The attack occurred on the first night of Passover, around 2 a.m. ET, just hours after Shapiro and his family had partaken in a Passover Seder. According to authorities, Balmer reported that he was planning to physically assault Governor Shapiro, using a small sledgehammer, had he encountered him. Balmer told police that he used two Molotov cocktails to set the residence on fire.