Cody Balmer has been sentenced to 25 to 50 years in prison for setting fire to Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro’s home and other related crimes.
Balmer pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including attempted murder, aggravated arson, 22 counts of arson and burglary, as part of a plea deal reached before the court hearing on Tuesday, October 14.
He was accused of breaking into Governor Shapiro’s home and starting a fire on the second day of Passover.
Balmer admitted to police that he used petrol from lawn mower to make Molotov cocktails in beer bottles for the attack on Governor Shapiro’s home.
He further admitted that he acted out of hatred toward Governor Shapiro.
Shapiro said that his family supported the plea deal announced by the prosecutors.
The attack on Governor Shapiro and his family is part of larger pattern of political violence in the US including threats and attacks against other politicians and public figures.
At a press conference on Tuesday, Shapiro, standing with his wife, said that his family has relied on their faith to cope and recover from the trauma of the attack.
“We will forever be changed by this, we know that time will heal, but the scars will remain,” Shapiro said.
Shapiro has served as Pennsylvania's governor since 2023, after working as the state's attorney general.
