Suspected Arsonist Torched Pennsylvania Governor’s Mansion Because of War at Gaza, He Told 911 Operator

The man accused of setting the Pennsylvania governor’s mansion on fire targeted Governor Shapiro over his perceived stance on Palestine, according to a search warrant from state police. Cody Balmer, 38, reportedly called 911 after firebombing the mansion on Sunday morning, telling operators that he wanted Mr. Shapiro to know that he “will not take part in his plans for what he wants to do to the Palestinian people,” the search warrant reports. Mr. Balmer added that he needed to “stop having my friends killed” and that “our people have been put through too much by that monster.” He continued by telling the operator that “You all know where to find me. I’m not hiding, and I will confess to everything that I had done.” The statement will be used as evidence that the defendant “targeted the Governor because he is Jewish” and that the incident was a “hate crime,” Dauphin County District Attorney, Fran Chardo, told local news outlet WGAL. The police have obtained several search warrants, including for Mr. Balmer’s family home, his storage unit, and his electronic devices. Mr. Shapiro, who is the third Jewish governor in the history of Pennsylvania, addressed the potential connection between the attack and his religious identity during a press conference on Sunday, vowing not to let the incident “deter” him from celebrating his faith “openly and proudly.”The latest evidence offers additional insight into the motive behind the Sunday morning attack which occurred just hours after the Shapiro family hosted guests for the Passover seder. The fire — which forced Mr. Shapiro and his family to evacuate their home at 2:00 a.m. — left the historic house significantly damaged. Dramatic photographs shared by Mr. Shapiro show the interior of the neo-Georgian mansion covered in black ash, with much of the furniture in tatters, and the windows blown out. No injuries were reported. Speculation mounted that Mr. Balmer may have been motivated by his disdain for the Democratic party after the media uncovered several anti-President Biden posts on his Facebook page. “Biden supporters shouldn’t exist,” he shared on Facebook in January 2021. “Where were you his first run? Well aware of the trash he is. As for the second, still knew what scum he is. Now why did y’all forget? What, because he did?” In another post he wrote: “RIP Joe Biden… whoops that’s in May. #notmypresident.”Sources familiar with Mr. Balmer said that the suspect’s grievances with the Democratic party were related to his financial issues, ABC reported yesterday. Mr. Balmer’s Harrisburg property was subject to foreclosure, according to a writ of execution issued by Dauphin County’s Court of Common Pleas. Additionally, the suspect’s mother, Christie Balmer, insists that her son is “mentally ill” and that the attack occurred after he “went off his medication,” she told CBS. Ms. Balmer says that she called four different police departments to try to get her son “picked up” but that she “couldn’t get anybody to help.” Mr. Balmer has been charged with eight crimes, including attempted murder, terrorism, burglary, aggravated assault, and aggravated arson. Pennsylvania officials said on Monday that Mr. Balmer is currently being treated for a “medical event not related to this incident or his arrest” and will be arraigned following his discharge from the hospital.Mr. Chardo, who is prosecuting the case, has not yet decided whether to charge Mr. Balmer with “ethnic intimidation” — the hate crime statute in Pennsylvania — though he will use Mr. Balmer’s motives to argue for a more severe sentence should he be convinced, Penn Live reports.

Suspected Arsonist Torched Pennsylvania Governor’s Mansion Because of War at Gaza, He Told 911 Operator

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