By Jonah McKeown
CNA Staff, Apr 14, 2025 / 15:32 pm
Catholic leaders in Pennsylvania have expressed shock and offered prayers after a man was arrested and charged for allegedly attempting to murder Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro and his family by setting the governor’s residence ablaze early Sunday morning.
Cody Balmer, 38, allegedly managed to scale an iron security fence and enter the governor’s mansion in Harrisburg, quickly setting a fire in a dining room using improvised incendiary devices, police said at a press conference on Monday. Shapiro and his family were able to escape unharmed, but the residence was heavily damaged.
The incident took place in Harrisburg, the state capital. Bishop Timothy Senior of Harrisburg in an April 14 statement said the attack “struck at the very heart of our shared values as a society.”
“I want to unequivocally state that all forms of hate are unacceptable. They have no place in our hearts, our homes, or our communities. Such acts of violence and intolerance threaten the fabric of our society and undermine the principles of love, respect, and understanding that all people of faith are called to embody,” Senior said.
At a press conference Sunday, Shapiro, an observant Jew who had celebrated a Passover Seder with his wife, four children, and extended family at their home the night before the attack, said he was “overwhelmed by the prayers and messages of support” and vowed not to be deterred if, in fact, the suspect was attempting to intimidate him because of his Jewish faith.
“No one will deter me, or my family, or any Pennsylvanian from celebrating their faith openly and proudly,” Shapiro said.
Balmer told police he planned to beat Shapiro with a sledgehammer if he had found him inside the house.
