The motive for the arson attack on the Governor’s residence in Pennsylvania by Cody Balmer has now been revealed and it is absolutely antisemitic.
It turns out that Balmer admitted everything to cops right after he did it, explaining that he was against Governor Shapiro’s stance on the Palestinians, and even surrendered himself later Sunday.
Here’s more from PennLive:
The suspect in the arson attack at the Governor’s Residence targeted Josh Shapiro due to his perceived stance on Palestine, according to a search warrant obtained by PennLive.
The suspect, Cody Balmer, called 911 following the attack early Sunday, identified himself by name and told operators Shapiro needs to know he “…will not take part in his plans for what he wants to do to the Palestinian people,” the search warrant written by police said.
Balmer continued, saying he needed to “stop having my friends killed” and that “…our people have been put through too much by that monster,” according to the warrant, which says Balmer’s intonation and cadence sounded like he was possibly reading from a script.
“You all know where to find me. I’m not hiding, and I will confess to everything that I had done,” the warrant says Balmer told 911 at 2:50 a.m. Sunday, less than an hour after the firebombing at the Governor’s Residence at 2035 Front St. in Harrisburg.
The investigation continued into the morning when Balmer’s ex-girlfriend called police and said Balmer told her he was responsible for the arson. Later on Sunday, Balmer approached state police headquarters in Harrisburg to surrender.
Police obtained several search warrants, including for Balmer’s parents’ home, where he was living, and a storage unit as well as his electronic devices.
In the warrant for his devices signed Tuesday, Corporal Benjamin Forsythe of the Pennsylvania State Police says Balmer targeted Shapiro “based upon perceived injustices to the people of Palestine,” as well as Shapiro’s Jewish faith, though the warrant does not elaborate on why Shapiro’s faith is believed to have been a motive.
Police say they have video of Balmer scaling the security fence surrounding the Governor’s Residence, using a hammer to break windows and climbing inside to throw Molotov cocktails and start a fire.
Investigators searched Balmer’s storage unit on the 500 block of 29th Street in Swatara Township and did not find any references to Israel or Palestine, though they did find stickers inside a toolbox of South American Marxist revolutionary Ernesto “Che” Guevara.
The evidence sheds new light on the motive for the arson attack on the Governor’s Residence on Sunday, which took place just hours after Shapiro hosted a Passover dinner to celebrate the first night of the Jewish holiday. The attack left the property significantly damaged, though the Shapiros, their guests and staff were evacuated without incident.
Following the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel, Shapiro condemned the attack and voiced support for Israel.
He also called for dismantling a pro-Palestinian encampment at the University of Pennsylvania last year, after demonstrators attempted to occupy a building on campus.