'Registered socialist,' BLM supporter Cody Balmer charged with arson of PA governor's mansion

The man whom authorities have said set fire to Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro's home while he and his family were sleeping at 2 am has said he is a registered socialist and has shared support from the Black Lives Matter movement. 

Cody Balmer, 38, has been arrested and charged with terrorism, attempted murder, and aggravated arson after Shapiro's home was torched while his family slept over the weekend, per the Associated Press. Shapiro and his family were able to escape without injuries. The fire was extinguished by first responders after the family escaped the burning home.

In 2022, Balmer posted a picture of a needlepoint from the anarchist page, “Riot Grrrls,” which said, "Be the light you want to see in the world," but the so-called "light" was a depiction of a Molotov cocktail, the means by which he firebombed Shapiro's home, authorities have said.

In a Facebook comment, he also stated that he was a "registered socialist" when talking to another social media user from four years ago. 

Balmer also shared a post in support of the BLM movement that was critical of conservatives and white people drawing attention to the death of a 5-year-old who was killed in North Carolina in 2020, which said, "Yes, it's a very sad, unfortunate story. It's heartbreaking. What are you looking to prove? ... There was a full manhunt for his killer who was then charged with murder with no bond WITHIN 24 HOURS of the shooting. (Not weeks. Not months. 1 day.) That's the whole premise behind the BLM movement... because a Black man (#AhmaudArbery) was attacked and shot by multiple White men and no arrests were made until 3 MONTHS LATER and ONLY after national attention, petitions, and marches. Stop trying to act oppressed."

Although Balmer posted in support of BLM, mocked Christians, and identified himself as a socialist, he was critical of Democrats as well as Republicans. In 2019, he shared a post that said, "Stop being Democratic or Republican." In a photo posted to his profile, it said, "Joe Biden owes me 2 grand." He also appeared to be a fan of Andrew Yang, who ran as a Democrat in the 2020 presidential election, but has tried to gather support for the centrist "Forward" party.


Photo: Cody Balmer Facebook

During an interview with police after his arrest, Balmer insinuated that he had a plan to beat Shapiro with a hammer if he saw him in the home, court documents that were released on Monday said. “Balmer admitted to harboring hatred towards Governor Shapiro," the documents read, but he reportedly did not say why. A motive was not determined as of Monday morning, per the AP.

A house that was previously owned by Balmer was foreclosed on and then sold for $60,000 last September, according to Philly Burbs.

Balmer is scheduled to appear in court on April 16 as well for previous criminal charges, including three counts of simple assault from a January 2023 incident, and he previously pleaded guilty to charges of forgery as well as attempted theft by deception. He was hit with 18 months' probation for the offense in 2016.

Shapiro said after the incident, "This kind of violence is becoming far too common in our society. 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."