A 38-year-old man from the United States, Cody Balmer, has admitted to attempting to murder Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro by firebombing his official residence. Balmer entered a guilty plea on Tuesday, acknowledging charges of attempted murder, aggravated arson, burglary, and related offenses. According to prosecutors, he faces a prison sentence ranging from 25 to 50 years under a plea agreement. The incident occurred in April when Balmer, driven by what he described as ‘hatred’ towards the governor, hurled a Molotov cocktail at Shapiro’s Georgian-style mansion in Harrisburg. At the time, Shapiro was celebrating the first night of Passover with his family. Although no injuries were reported, parts of the residence sustained significant damage. Balmer was captured on surveillance footage scaling a perimeter fence, breaking windows, and igniting gasoline-filled bottles before fleeing the scene. He later surrendered to state police, confessing to the attack. An ex-partner of Balmer had alerted authorities, stating he intended to turn himself in. Shapiro, a prominent Democrat and potential 2028 presidential candidate, expressed relief that no one was harmed during the ordeal.
