Who is Cody Balmer, man charged in Josh Shapiro home fire case?

A 38-year-old man, Cody Balmer, is in custody and will face attempted homicide, arson charges after setting a fire at Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro.

Updated on: Apr 14, 2025, 08:26:28 IST

By Yash Nitish Bajaj

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Pennsylvania police has identified and taken into custody Cody Balmer from Harrisburg for lighting a fire at Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro's residence. He is 38 years old.

Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro's home was set of fire (REUTERS)

The police department confirmed that Balmer hopped the fences, evaded the troopers and set the fire. The 38-year-old was apprehended in the Harrisburg area immediately after Shapiro and his family were evacuated. He is facing aggravated assault and arson-related charges. The suspect's photo has not been released yet.

Officials added that Balmer had a ‘very methodic plan’ and was in and out of the residence within minutes. "While the fire was successfully extinguished, it caused a significant amount of damage to a portion of the residence," the State Police said.

“While the investigation is ongoing, the State Police is prepared to say at this time that this was an act of arson,” the department added, without mentioning the motive.

Video of the fire

This comes after the Pennsylvania State Police confirmed that they are investigating an arson at the governor’s residence overnight. Josh Shapiro said in a post on X that he and his family ‘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 fire was lit at around 2 AM. No one was injured and the fire was extinguished, according to authorities.

Shapiro, a Democrat, is considered a potential candidate for his party's presidential contest in 2028. Before the fire, he posted last night about his family's Seder table while celebrating Passover.

"Every day, we stand with the law enforcement and first responders who run towards danger to protect our communities," Shapiro said, "Last night, they did so for our family – and Lori and I are eternally grateful to them for keeping us safe."

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yash Nitish Bajaj
Yash Bajaj is a Chief Content Producer with a strong foundation in US coverage, digital strategy, and audience-focused storytelling. As part of the US Desk at Hindustan Times, he covers a wide range of topics - from American politics to sports (NFL, NBA, derbies, MLB and more). Before joining Hindustan Times, Yash served as Deputy News Editor at Times Now, where he oversaw international coverage and led a team of six. In this role, he significantly expanded global traffic through strategic planning, SEO-driven content execution, and meticulous trend tracking across platforms. He is experienced in managing high-pressure breaking-news shifts, coordinating live coverage, and building newsroom systems that improve speed, accuracy, and reach. Prior to Times Now, Yash held a position at Opoyi, where he headed the Sports and US news team. He developed broad editorial strategies, guided reporters across multiple beats, and played a key role in recruiting and training new talent. His responsibilities also extended to social media management and experimenting with innovative content formats. A passionate NFL fan, Yash is a die-hard supporter of the Cincinnati Bengals and has followed Joe Burrow closely since his college days at LSU. Whether breaking down top players' latest performance, analyzing team performances, or tracking roster moves, he brings the same dedication and sharp storytelling to his sports coverage as he does to American politics and breaking news. When he’s not writing, Yash can often be found watching games or debating the latest NFL storylines with fellow fans. Yash holds a Bachelor of Mass Media (Journalism) from HR College, Mumbai University. His interests extend well beyond the newsroom: he is an enthusiastic explorer of AI tools, a movie buff with an ever-growing watchlist, and someone who enjoys unraveling conspiracy theories for fun.Read More

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