Shapiro sees his family mansion destroyed by senseless arson attack | Photos Pennsylvania State Police
Visibly emotional and frustrated, while also defiant, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro condemned the arson attack on his house last night while he and his family were sleeping. No casualties were reported.
“This kind of violence is becoming far too common in our society. And I don’t give a damn if it’s coming from one particular side or the other or directed at one particular party or another,” Shapiro said in a news conference he posted on X. “It has to stop. We don’t know the person’s specific motive yet. This type of violence is not OK, and it has to stop. We have to be better than this.”
State police investigators also said they do not know what motivated the attack, but court documents say the suspect admitted he hated the Democrat governor and was plotting to beat him with a hammer.
Arsonist recounts how it all went down
Firstly, Corey Balmer, 38, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, eluded the state police detail protecting the governor’s mansion. How he managed to go undetected is under investigation. Balmer, charged with attempted murder, terrorism, aggravated arson, and aggravated assault, said he scaled over a 7-foot-high (2.1-meter-high) iron security fence surrounding the property.
The arsonist said he took petrol from his lawnmower and poured it into Heineken beer bottles. He broke a window to the piano room and threw a Molotov cocktail inside. The flames spread quickly. He then proceeded to break a dining room window and climbed into the home to throw another Molotov cocktail, causing more flames to spread. He then said he walked back home, where he was arrested hours after the attack.
Donald Trump and others’ reactions
“The attacker basically wasn’t a fan of anybody,” President Donald Trump told reporters. “And certainly, a thing like that cannot be allowed to happen.”
“Thanks be to God that Governor Shapiro and his family were unharmed in this attack,” Vice President JD Vance wrote on X. “Really disgusting violence, and I hope whoever did it is brought swiftly to justice.”
Former Pennsylvania Gov. Mark Schweiker called the attack a “despicable act of cowardice.” He also called on Pennsylvanians to join him and his wife in praying for the Shapiros.
