Governor Shapiro reacts to arsonists attack, search warrant detailing Palestine motive

(WHTM) — Governor Josh Shapiro addressed the charges filed against Cody Balmer, the man accused of setting fire to the Governor’s Residence, for the first time on Wednesday during an event in Hershey.

Shapiro chose not to speak on the suspect or whether or not there were hate crimes involved. Shapiro says he hasn’t thought about that much, and said the determination of whether a ‘hate crime’ occurred is up to Dauphin County District Attorney Fran Chardo.

“It’s obviously been a challenge,” said Shapiro. “My focus is being a good dad, a good husband, and a good Governor, in that order.”

Shapiro, shaken by the possibility of his family and friends being hurt, reflected on the attack during his seder for Passover and the message he shared with his children.

“It’s okay to feel a lot of different things,” said Shapiro. “It’s okay to not be okay also.”

Shapiro noted that his family had personal items in the dining room, and he’s unsure if they survived the fire. The state museum is assessing artifacts that were in the home damaged by smoke and heat.

According to a search warrant filed by State Police, Balmer referenced Palestine in a 911 call to dispatchers after he allegedly threw Molotov Cocktails into the Governor’s Residence in Harrisburg while Shapiro and his family were sleeping.

Shapiro also thanked the Harrisburg firefighters and authorities, whom he and his family will go and serve lunch to on April 17. Shapiro also said he will not be deterred or fearful and will continue to do his job.

“When you’re in a position like this, with the profile I have in doing this work, you are mindful that there are people out there every day who want to do you harm,” said Shapiro. “That is a reality of this world that I live in. It’s an unfortunate reality, it shouldn’t be that way, but I can tell you that while I’m mindful of that, I don’t really spend any time thinking about any specific ways that might manifest itself, in part because you can’t be paralyzed by fear, and part because I’ve got confidence that State Police will keep me and my family safe.”

Shapiro also told reporters that he has confidence that Pennsylvania State Police will keep him and his family safe, though he conceded mistakes were probably made.

State Police recently announced they will engage a third-party expert to conduct an independent security review to investigate how 38-year-old Cody Balmer was able to scale the fence, break windows, throw multiple Molotov cocktails inside the Governor’s Residence while he and his family were sleeping, and escape without being caught on April 13. Governor Shapiro spoke to abc27 and the public for the first time since the incident today.

Shapiro says he supports the idea of a third-party investigation into exactly what happened last Sunday morning, and he’s confident that the state police will be stronger as a result of the third-party investigation.

“I think it’s warranted,” said Shapiro. “The Colonel and I both think it’s warranted… PSP will share their assessment on the Residence.”

Harrisburg Fire Chief Brian Enterline said he hopes his encounter with Governor Shapiro will make him more appreciative of what firefighters do for the community. Governor Shapiro said he has always respected the job that firefighters do, not just when they’re helping him, but what they do for all of Pennsylvania each day.

Shapiro added he has requested more money for fire services in the upcoming budget.