Man pleads guilty to arson attack on Gov. Josh Shapiro's home
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Damage following the April blaze inside Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro's residence was extensive. Photo: Matthew Hatcher/Getty Images
The man who set fire to Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro's (D) Harrisburg residence while he and his family were asleep pleaded guilty Tuesday to attempted murder and other charges.
The big picture: The incident drew condemnation from across the political spectrum.
Driving the news: Cody Balmer, 38, of Harrisburg, pleaded guilty to 22 counts of arson, aggravated arson, burglary, aggravated assault of Shapiro, 21 counts of reckless endangerment and terrorism.
- He was sentenced to 25 to 50 years in prison.
- Shapiro and Pennsylvania first lady Lori Shapiro submitted victim impact statements before the Dauphin County district attorney, Fran Chardo, reached a plea deal.
What they're saying: At a news conference Tuesday, Shapiro said, "I've carried with me this enormous sense of guilt. Guilt that doing this job that I love so much has put our children's lives at risk. It has been really hard."
- He praised Chardo for achieving "real accountability" and said acts of political violence must face consequences.
Catch up quick: Balmer entered the governor's residence on April 13 and hurled Molotov cocktails to set the dining room ablaze just hours after Shapiro hosted a Passover seder with his friends and family, according to police.
- Police said Balmer told them he would've beaten Shapiro with a hammer if he encountered him.
- Shapiro and his family evacuated the residence and were unharmed.
- Balmer, who called 911 to report the arson, said on the call that he was motivated to attack Shapiro's residence because the governor, who is Jewish, is a "monster" for supporting Israel's war in Gaza.
Zoom in: Balmer's mother told the Associated Press her son suffers from schizophrenia and bipolar disorder and she attempted to get him help days before the attack.
- Police said they didn't have enough proof that Balmer was a threat to himself or others to have him involuntarily committed.
Zoom out: Shapiro has faced fierce blowback over his views on the Gaza war.
- He previously denounced universities for failing to guarantee the safety of students during pro-Palestinian protests last year.
The bottom line: Shapiro said no one should accept political violence as normal.
- "I think it's important that in this time of rising political violence, that none of us grow numb to it."
Go deeper: Suspect in arson at Gov. Shapiro's residence called 911 after fire
Editor's note: This story has been updated with Gov. Shapiro's comments.
