The man accused of firebombing the Governor’s Mansion while Josh Shapiro and his family were sleeping inside in an act of terrorism pulled sick faces as he was marched into the courthouse.
Cody Balmer has been charged with attempted homicide, aggravated arson and terrorism for the Saturday night attack on the Pennsylvania Governor’s home.
The 38-year-old Balmer repeatedly pulled faces at the cameras and reporters, sticking out his tongue and crossing his eyes to pose for photos.
The disturbing act came as Balmer shuffled into the courthouse on Monday with both his wrists and ankles cuffed, hours after he was reportedly taken to hospital suffering an undisclosed medical condition.
Balmer allegedly used two beer bottles filled with gasoline to make homemade Molotov cocktails to light fire to Shapiro’s Harrisburg mansion, the official property where Pennsylvania governors reside.
He then turned himself into Pennsylvania State Police, telling officers he was ‘harboring hatred towards Governor Shapiro’ and that he had removed the gasoline from a lawnmower.
And according to the police affidavit seen by DailyMail.com, Balmer told police he ‘would have beaten him with a hammer’ if they had crossed paths.
Balmer’s former girlfriend and the mother to his two children initially called police to inform them that he had committed the crime. She alleged he wanted her to tell investigators.
The 38-year-old Balmer repeatedly pulled faces at the cameras and reporters, sticking out his tongue and crossing his eyes to pose for photos
Cody Balmer has been charged with attempted homicide, aggravated arson and terrorism for the Saturday night attack on the Pennsylvania Governor’s home
Extraordinary photos show the sheer extent of the damage to the Governor’s Mansion, which has housed Pennsylvania’s leaders since the building was completed in 1968
The Jewish holiday of Passover started this weekend and Shapiro is Jewish, leaving some wondering if Balmer was expressing anti-Semitic views.
But Balmer’s social media profile was littered with political commentary and criticism about American institutions, without any direct reference to anti-Semitism.
The 38-year-old Harrisburg father had made chilling posts about former president Joe Biden and his supporters, arguing that they ‘shouldn’t exist’ and even suggesting Biden was going to be killed.
‘Biden supporters shouldn’t exist,’ he wrote in one post dated January 2021.
‘RIP Joe Biden… whoops that’s in May. #notmypresident,’ another read, while another added that ‘knowing is half the battle… the other half is extreme violence.’
Balmer had separately noted during Biden’s presidential term that gas was cheaper under President Donald Trump. He insisted at the time he did ‘not play favorites especially since they all suck.’
Trump was asked about the suspect’s political leanings on Monday, and said he was likely ‘just a whack job.’
‘The attacker was not a fan of Trump, I understand,’ Trump told reporters. ‘Just from what I read and what I’ve been told.
While the toll of the attack could have been far worse, the shocking images show the charred remnants of the once-stunning rooms
The 38-year-old Harrisburg father had made chilling posts about former president Joe Biden and his supporters, arguing that they ‘shouldn’t exist’ and even suggesting Biden was going to be killed
Cody Balmer is escorted from court after his arraignment Monday
Governor Shapiro’s mansion was torched to a crisp
Balmer turned himself in and has been hit with a raft of charges relating to the incident
‘The attacker basically wasn’t a fan of anybody, probably just a whack job, and certainly a thing like that cannot be allowed to happen.’
Extraordinary photos show the sheer extent of the damage to Shapiro’s home.
Fire crews were dispatched to Democrat Shapiro’s home in Harrisburg around 2am Sunday, the town’s Fire Chief Brian Enterline said.
Everyone inside the home was in a separate part of the residence when the flames broke out and were able to evacuate safely.
The shocking images show the charred remnants of the once-stunning rooms. The living areas and common spaces have been left blackened with ash and soot with what’s left of the furniture scattered haphazardly around the rooms.
State police Lt. Col. George Bivens said Balmer ‘clearly had a plan’ going into the late-night attack.
‘He was very methodical in his approach, and moved through it without a lot of hurry,’ Bivens said.
Shapiro, who shares four children with his wife Lori, shared a post to X about the startling incident.
Balmer’s social media profile also offers an insight into his state of mind. The 38-year-old Harrisburg father had made chilling posts about former president Joe Biden and his supporters, arguing that they ‘shouldn’t exist’ and even suggesting Biden was going to be killed
Shapiro, his wife Lori and their four children (pictured) were in the home at the time of the blaze
‘Last night at about 2AM, my family and I woke up to bangs on the door from the Pennsylvania State Police after an arsonist set fire to the Governor’s Residence in Harrisburg.
‘The Harrisburg Bureau of Fire was on the scene and while they worked to put out the fire, we were evacuated from the Residence safely by Pennsylvania State Police and assisted by Capitol Police.
‘Thank God no one was injured and the fire was extinguished. Every day, we stand with the law enforcement and first responders who run towards danger to protect our communities. Last night, they did so for our family – and Lori and I are eternally grateful to them for keeping us safe.’