Less than an hour after he allegedly firebombed the Pennsylvania governor’s mansion, the suspect called 911 and appeared to apologize and confess to the early Sunday attack, according to a newly released recording of the call.
“I don’t really have an emergency. I would like to apologize,” the suspect, 38-year-old Cody Balmer, is heard telling the operator in a recording of the call obtained by ABC News through a public records request.
Balmer refers to Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and himself by name in the recording of the call, which has been cited in multiple warrants in the case.
“Gov. Josh Shapiro needs to know that Cody Balmer will not take part in his plan for what he wants to do to the Palestinian people,” Balmer is heard saying in the recording. “He needs to leave my family alone.”
“He needs to stop having my friends killed,” he continues in the recording. “Our people have been put through too much by that monster.”
The damage to the residence’s dining room by the fire was also mentioned in the call, according to the recording.
“All he has is a banquet hall to clean up,” Balmer is heard saying in the recording. “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.”
Investigators are on the scene after an overnight fire at the governor’s official residence, April 13, 2025 in Harrisburg, Pa.
Marc Levy/AP
The suspect said he wished “no harm onto anyone,” according to the recording.
“But that man, that man is doing serious, serious harm to probably yourself included,” he continues in the recording. “And I do wish you the best, sir. You all know where to find me. I’m not hiding, and I do confess to everything that I’ve done.”
Balmer’s voice is rather calm throughout the roughly minute-long call, though he is heard taking a couple of deep breaths. It appears he hangs up before the operator can respond.
ABC News has reached out to Balmer’s public defender for comment on the call and has not yet received a response.
The 911 call was made at approximately 2:50 a.m. Sunday, according to search warrants.
Members of the Harrisburg Bureau of Fire responded to the governor’s residence at approximately 2 a.m. that day for the report of a fire.
The attack happened hours after the Shapiro family hosted more than two dozen people for the first night of Passover. The assailant hopped a fence at the governor’s mansion, broke windows, entered the residence and deployed Molotov cocktails made from beer bottles and gasoline, police said.
Shapiro and his family were in the residence at the time of the fire but were evacuated safely and not injured, according to state police.
Cody A. Balmer appears for a mugshot photo after being charged in connection with a fire at Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro’s residence, April 13, 2025 in Harrisburg, Pa.
Dauphin County District Attorney’s Office/Getty Images
Balmer turned himself in and allegedly confessed to the fire, according to search warrants.
He faces eight criminal charges, including attempted murder, terrorism and aggravated arson. So far, prosecutors have not invoked a hate crime law, which in Pennsylvania is known as ethnic intimidation.
He has yet to enter a plea to the charges.
Balmer — a mechanic who had previously expressed disdain for Democrats on social media — was denied bail at his arraignment on Monday.
During the hearing, his attorney said Balmer is indigent and asked for a “reasonable monetary bail,” but the judge denied it, saying that while he appreciated that Balmer turned himself in, there were no conditions that could keep him from being a danger to the community.
He is set to appear in court on April 23 for a preliminary hearing.
