- Suspect faces terrorism charges for firebombing governor’s residence while family slept
- Balmer’s history includes mortgage foreclosure battles and pending domestic violence case
- Social media activity showed frustration with politicians and economic instability
- Army veteran discharged in 2012 with no deployments or public service record
Pennsylvania authorities are investigating a shocking arson attack at Governor Josh Shapiro’s Harrisburg residence, allegedly perpetrated by 38-year-old Cody Allen Balmer. Court documents reveal Balmer’s escalating personal crises, including a $117,000 mortgage default and domestic violence charges involving his ex-wife and children. The April 2025 incident marks one of the most severe acts of political violence in recent state history.
Balmer’s financial collapse began with a 2022 foreclosure lawsuit that culminated in near eviction by June 2024. His legal team argued that injuries from a car accident and marital separation hindered his income, delaying a sheriff’s sale through a last-minute property buyer. While the mortgage dispute resolved in January 2025, Balmer faced simultaneous criminal allegations of assaulting family members during a suicide attempt. Court affidavits describe him stepping on his son’s broken leg and biting his wife’s hand during a violent altercation.
Military records obtained by ABC News show Balmer served eight years as an Army Reserve construction equipment repairer without deployments. His discharge status remains undisclosed under privacy laws, though experts note non-combat veterans account for 22% of domestic terrorism cases nationally. This trend reflects broader concerns about reintegration challenges and economic despair fueling extremism.
A regional case study highlights Pennsylvania’s 34% increase in politically motivated arson since 2022, paralleling national spikes in housing insecurity. Balmer’s Facebook posts exemplify this nexus, blending family photos with rants about unaffordable living costs and critiques of both Trump and Biden. One November 2022 post advocated selling organs to pay rent, while another featured an embroidered Molotov cocktail captioned “Be the light you want to see in the world.”
Law enforcement sources confirm Balmer’s probation for a 2018 forgery conviction expired six months before the attack. His estranged wife’s aunt described him as “quiet” but expressed shock at the allegations. The case underscores systemic failures in monitoring individuals with layered crises—a reality Pennsylvania’s Task Force on Domestic Terrorism aims to address through improved interagency data sharing proposed in Senate Bill 441.
