The suspect in the arson at the Pennsylvania governor’s mansion allegedly made a 911 call after he set fire to the residence in which he explained that he was motivated by the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.
Cody Balmer, 38, is charged with attempted murder, aggravated arson, burglary, terrorism and related offenses for allegedly setting fire to Democrat Gov. Josh Shapiro’s residence on Sunday.
In a 911 call allegedly made by Balmer, he admits that he set fire to the residence because of what Shapiro, who is Jewish, “wants to do to the Palestinian people,” according to audio obtained by Fox 29.
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A dispatcher first asked for the address of the emergency before Balmer explained that there was no emergency.
“Well, I don’t really have an emergency. I would like to apologize. Governor Josh Shapiro needs to know that Cody Balmer will not take part in his plans for what he wants to do to the Palestinian people,” Balmer said in the call. “He needs to leave my family alone. He needs to get his eyes off of my daughters. And he needs to stop having my friends killed, like he had Manny killed two weeks ago, or last week on Saturday.”
“Our people have been put through too much by that monster,” Balmer told the dispatcher. “All he has is a banquet hall to clean up. I’m tired of offering extensions of peace. I only want to be able to provide for my children. I should not be taken to these extremes. It’s not fair. I wish no harm onto anyone. But that man … that man, he is doing serious, serious harm to probably yourself included. And I do wish you the best, sir.”
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Balmer added: “You all know where to find me. I’m not hiding, and I will confess to everything that I had done.”
Similar to the 911 call, a search warrant for Balmer’s devices had revealed that Balmer targeted the governor for “what he wants to do to the Palestinian people,” PennLive reported. According to the warrant, State Police Cpl. Benjamin Forsythe said the suspect targeted Shapiro over “perceived injustices to the people of Palestine.” Forsythe also pointed to the governor’s Jewish faith as a possible motive behind the attack, without elaborating.
Another warrant details Balmer’s interview with state troopers in which he allegedly admitted to “harboring hatred towards” Shapiro. Balmer also reportedly admitted to a trooper that he was responsible for the arson attack and said he planned to attack Shapiro with his hammer if he were to find the governor in the mansion.
Surveillance video described in a warrant allegedly shows Balmer breaking a window at the governor’s residence before throwing “an incendiary device” inside. According to the warrant, Balmer then broke another window, entered the residence and deployed another incendiary device before he “approached the dining room exit.”
The warrant also says a woman — seemingly identified as Balmer’s “ex-paramour” — said he confessed to the attack and asked her to call police to turn him in.
“This kind of violence is becoming far too common in our society,” Shapiro said at a press briefing. “And I don’t give a damn if it’s coming from one particular side or the other, directed at one particular party or another, or one particular person or another. It is not okay and it has to stop. We have to be better than this.”
Fox News’ Rachel Wolf contributed to this report.
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