HARRISBURG (AP) – The district attorney prosecuting a man accused of setting fire to Gov. Josh Shapiro’s official residence says investigators are still assessing whether religious or political bias figure into the potential motive. Authorities released a recording of suspect Cody Balmer’s Sunday call to 911 after the fire. His comments in it reference Palestinians, his own family, and accusations about Shapiro, who is Jewish, but don’t offer any further explanation of the claims. Dauphin County District Attorney Fran Chardo said Balmer’s electronics were being examined. Warrants to search several smartphones, a laptop computer, and a hard drive said they would look for any references to Shapiro, Israel, Palestinians or Gaza. Relatives say Balmer, has struggled with mental illness, but Balmer told a judge that he doesn’t have a mental illness. He is jailed and has not entered a plea.
CODY BALMER