The governor of Pennsylvania Josh Shapiro, April 13, 2025 in Harrisburg (Pennsylvania) during a press conference in front of his residence attacked to “Molotov cocktails” according to police (Getty Images North America / Matthew Hatcher)
A 38-year-old man, who admitted that he wanted to attack the governor of Pennsylvania Josh Shapiro, was charged with attempted murder and terrorism after the fire at the “Molotov cocktails” who damaged the home of this heavyweight of the Democratic Party during the weekend.
The name of Josh Shapiro returns regularly to the United States as a potential pretender in the White House election in 2028 on the Democratic side. The 51-year-old governor was one of the possible candidates for the vice-prresience of the United States of Kamala Harris, who had finally chosen the governor of Minnesota Tim Walz as a running mate.
The elected official was with his family inside his official Harrisburg residence, the capital of Pennsylvania, where he celebrated the Jewish party in Passsa’h on Saturday, when everyone was awakened and evacuated by his security service because of the fire.
“Even if the fire could be turned off, he caused significant damage to part of the residence,” the authorities said in a statement.
During a press conference, police said they had arrested a 38 -year -old man, Cody Balmer, suspected of having broken into the house, equipped with incendiary craft vehicles.
– Beer bottles –
According to court documents, the suspect gave himself up to the police. He said he was “hatred” about Shapiro and told investigators to “hit him with his hammer” if he had met him, according to the police.
Still according to this complaint, the man managed to enter the residence and broke windows to throw “his Molotov cocktails” inside. Police say they have found bottles of beer containing gasoline in the residence.
Cody Balmer is prosecuted for eight charges, including attempted murder, criminal fire and terrorism.
A photo of identification of the suspect Cody Balmer, made available by the Dauphin County Prosecutor’s Office on April 14, 2025, after the fire at the residence of the Governor of Pennsylvania Josh Shapiro (Dauphin County District Attorney’s Office / Handout)
On the social network X, Josh Shapiro reported that he was awakened by “blows on the door” struck by the police, before being evacuated with his relatives.
“Thank goodness, there are no wounded and the fire was extinguished,” he wrote.
“This kind of violence becomes far too common in our society and no matter what it comes from one side or another, it must stop,” added before the press the Democrat, who had defeated in 2022 a candidate close to the far right and supported by Donald Trump.
Republican vice-president JD Vance, denouncing a “truly repugnant violence”, asked that the official be “quickly translated into justice”.
Questioned by journalists on the Air Force presidential plane, Donald Trump simply replied that he had heard of the incident.
Violence against elected officials or political leaders has become a recurring problem in the United States, which culminated last July with the attempted assassination against Donald Trump in full meeting during his presidential campaign, in Butler, Pennsylvania.
The author of the shots, who had only touched the republican candidate, had been killed on the spot by the police.
Many experts agree that acts of violence increased with the arrival of Donald Trump in power, in January 2017 – whether or not they are responsible.
According to Capitol police, responsible for protecting elected officials from Congress, threats against them have more than doubled since that date. In 2022, the husband of the elected democrat Nancy Pelosi had also been attacked by a man with a hammer and who actually sought the American leader.
