ALLENTOWN, Pa. — Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro said video surveillance of his home being firebombed has “haunted” him for months.
On Tuesday, it was played publicly for the first time.
That arson attack happened in April as Governor Shapiro and his family slept upstairs, and just hours after they celebrated the start of Passover.
The suspect accepted the blame for what he did.
38-year-old Cody Balmer pleaded guilty to attempted murder, aggravated arson and 22 counts of arson among other offenses.
He kept quiet in court Tuesday while video of the firebombing was released.
“I know those videos are chilling. They’ve been haunting me for months. I’ve been trying to unsee them for the last six months,” said Gov. Shapiro.
The Dauphin County District Attorney’s Office released multiple videos of the moment Balmer climbed over the 7-ft. iron fence outside the Governor’s mansion, smashed windows with a hammer and used beer bottles filled with gasoline to ignite the property while Shapiro, his family and guests were sleeping hours after they celebrated Passover. Eight children were inside the home at the time.
“It’s hard for me to stand before you today and utter the words attempted murder when it’s your own life. To know that someone tried to kill me. It’s especially hard to know that he tried to burn our family to death while we slept,” Shapiro explained.
Nobody was injured but investigators say Balmer told them he would have beaten Shapiro with a hammer if he found him inside the mansion. Balmer admitted to pouring gasoline from a lawn mower into bottles at his home before walking to the governor’s residence.
Balmer later turned himself in.
Police say he told a 911 dispatcher that he would not take part in Shapiro’s plans for what he wants to do to Palestinian people.
Balmer’s family was in court today and apologized to governor Shapiro and his family.
Balmer himself did not want to speak.
Balmer was sentenced to 25 to 50 years in prison.