A man has surrendered to authorities after being accused of setting fire to the home of Governor Josh Shapiro and his family in Pennsylvania. The information comes from a legal document obtained by Fox News.
The individual, Cody Balmer, who is 38 years old and resides in Harrisburg, was initially reported to law enforcement by a former romantic partner. According to the complaint, Balmer supposedly admitted his actions to the ex-partner and even asked her to contact the authorities on his behalf. He then turned himself in shortly after outside the Pennsylvania State Police headquarters.
During his interrogation by the police, Balmer allegedly confessed to holding animosity towards Governor Shapiro. He further disclosed that he had taken gasoline from a lawn mower and poured it into empty Heineken bottles he had at his home.
Balmer allegedly said he walked an hour to the governor’s mansion “with the intention of throwing his homemade Molotov cocktails into the residence.”
“This kind of violence is becoming far too common in our society,” the politician said. “And I don’t give a damn if it’s coming from one particular side or the other, directed at one particular party or another, or one particular person or another. It is not okay and it has to stop. We have to be better than this.”
