The arsonist who broke into the Pennsylvania governor’s residence while Gov. Josh Shapiro and his extended family slept upstairs on the first night of Passover encountered little resistance as he scaled a security fence, smashed windows with a hammer, ignited two Molotov cocktails and crawled inside before slipping off into the night minutes later.
That suggests multiple security failures, according to a former FBI agent who wondered why burglar alarms, motion detectors and other devices did not thwart the intruder sooner.
“He never should have gotten over the fence. He never should have gotten across the yard and to the house. He never should have broken the window. He never should have gotten inside,” said retired FBI Special Agent J.J. Klaver, now a security consultant.
The arson early Sunday occurred just hours after Shapiro hosted a Seder for his family and members of the Jewish community. No one was injured, but the fire caused, by one official’s estimate, millions of dollars in damage.
“I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t jarring, scary to see that in the light of day, to see the areas where we’d either make memories privately up in the residence with our kids — hanging out, laughing, enjoying ourselves — or in the more public spaces where we’ve been able to welcome so many people to our home,” Shapiro said Thursday. “But we’re going to rebuild from that. We’re going to be stronger.”
White House, queen have faced intruders
Experts said it can be difficult to maintain security at official residences, like the one in Harrisburg, that also open their doors to the public for tours and events.
Intruders over the years have managed to breach both the White House and the queen’s bedroom at Buckingham Palace. Meanwhile, Paul Pelosi, the husband of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, was violently attacked inside their private home in California in 2022.
The Pennsylvania suspect, an unemployed mechanic from Harrisburg, told police he felt hatred toward Shapiro, and referenced Palestinians in a 911 call that day, according to court documents.
Still, Cody Balmer’s specific motive remains unclear, and both his family and lawyers have said he has struggled with serious mental health issues. Balmer, 38, remains in custody without bail while his lawyers seek a competency evaluation.
