Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania man pleads guilty to arson attack on governor’s mansion

Published

6 months ago

October 14, 2025

Pennsylvania man pleads guilty to arson attack on governor’s mansion

Oct 14 (Reuters) – A 38-year-old man pleaded guilty on Tuesday to attempting to murder Democratic Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro in an April arson attack on the governor’s residence in which he scaled a fence and ignited part of the house with gasoline-filled beer bottles as Shapiro and his family slept inside.

Cody Balmer also pleaded guilty to terrorism, 22 counts of arson, 21 counts of reckless endangerment, burglary, aggravated assault, and loitering, according to records from the Dauphin County Court in Pennsylvania.

A Pennsylvania judge sentenced Balmer to 25 to 50 years in state prison, according to Dauphin County District Attorney Fran Chardo, who prosecuted the case.

The April attack was part of a surge in political violence in the United States. There were about 150 politically motivated attacks in the first half of 2025, nearly double the number from that period last year, according to political violence researchers.

In an emotional press conference on Tuesday, Shapiro said the attack had taken a profound toll on him and his family, and that despite rising levels of political violence in the U.S., nobody should “grow numb” to it.

“We need real accountability for acts of political violence, and today is real accountability for the violence that came here to Pennsylvania,” said Shapiro, who is seen as a potential candidate for his party’s presidential nomination in 2028.

After the attack, Balmer told police he “harbored hatred” toward Shapiro and would have beaten him with a hammer if he had encountered the governor inside the residence.

According to a police search warrant released in April when Balmer called 911 to confess, he told police he believed Shapiro, who is Jewish, was encouraging the war in Gaza, and that he “needs to stop having my friends killed,” and “our people have been put through too much by that monster.”

Since the attack on Shapiro’s residence, other acts of political violence in the United States have targeted figures on the right and left.

In June, a Christian nationalist murdered a Democratic state lawmaker and her husband in Minnesota, and wounded a second Democrat.

In July, a group of at least 11 militants in black military-style clothing attacked an immigration detention center in Texas. The group set off fireworks, spray-painted “traitor” and “ICE Pig” on vehicles, and shot a responding police officer in the neck, wounding him, while another sprayed gunfire at detention guards, according to the FBI.

Reporting by Julia Harte
Editing by Bill Berkrot

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Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania man pleads guilty to threatening Trump and ICE agents online

Published

9 hours ago

April 14, 2026

Press Room

Pennsylvania man pleads guilty to threatening Trump and ICE agents online

Shawn Monper, 33, of Butler, Pennsylvania, entered the plea on Monday before U.S. District Judge W. Scott Hardy to two counts of threatening federal officials with intent to impede, intimidate, interfere with and retaliate against them in…

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Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania man charged after son brought loaded gun to school, DA says

Published

21 hours ago

April 13, 2026

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Pennsylvania man charged after son brought loaded gun to school, DA says

A Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, man was charged after his son went to school with his loaded gun, the Chester County District Attorney’s Office said Monday.

The DA’s office said Russell Matthews, 58, was charged with endangering the welfare of a child and recklessly endangering the welfare of a child.

East Pikeland Township Police responded to Hares Hill Elementary School on Monday at around 12:15 p.m. for the report of a student who brought a handgun to school.

At school, the student noticed the handgun inside their backpack and told a school counselor, according to the DA’s office. The student told officials that he recognized it and that it belonged to his father. The semiautomatic handgun was loaded with five rounds of ammunition, the DA’s office said.

Matthews told police that he put the gun in the wrong backpack, the DA’s office said.

Nobody was injured during the incident.

“We are grateful to the school officials and the East Pikeland Township Police Department who worked quickly to ensure that [Hares] Hill Elementary School is safe again,” Chester County District Attorney Christopher de Barrena-Sarobe said in a statement.

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Pennsylvania

Cynthia Ann Gargasz, Sharon, PA

Published

1 day ago

April 13, 2026

Press Room

SHARON, Pa. (MyValleyTributes) – Cynthia Ann Gargasz, age 75, passed away peacefully, on Friday, April 10, 2026, surrounded by her family.

Cynthia was born on October 5, 1950, in Sharon, Pennsylvania, to Mary and Carl Spruk.

Cindy grew up in Farrell, Pennsylvania, where she attended Farrell High School and graduated from class of 1969. She went on to dedicate 30 years of hard work at Packard Electric before retiring.

Cindy found joy in simple comforts at home and maintaining her home and family. Throughout her life, she cared deeply for her animal friends and would always feed and nurture any additional critters that would cross her path. She loved sitting with a cup of coffee, watching the birds and welcoming visits from friends and family. She cherished gathering around the kitchen table for meals and conversation and was always adding simple touches to her space to make it feel more like home. She enjoyed hosting holidays, where everyone felt welcome. Cindy had an eye for style, enjoyed meeting up with friends and dancing the night away to good music. Most recently during her illness, she very much enjoyed trips to the corral drive-in, for vanilla ice cream and burger visits with family.

Cindy is preceded in death by her parents Mary and Carl Spruk; her sister, Carol Crisan; and her brother, Edward Spruk.

She is survived by her children, Frank (Reagan) Gargasz and Ashley Gargasz; her grandson, Jordan DeCarmen; her brother, Mark Spruk (Gretchen); and her nieces and great-nieces.

Per her wish, family and close friends may call on Tuesday April 14, 2026, 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m., in the Stephen J. Sherman Funeral Home

Funeral services will be held on Tuesday, April 14, 2026, at 12:00 p.m., in the funeral home, with Father James Power, officiating.

Burial will take place in Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Cemetery Hermitage, PA.

Arrangements entrusted to the SHERMAN Funeral Home & Crematory.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Cynthia Ann (Spruk) Gargasz, please visit our floral store.

A television tribute will air Tuesday, April 14, at the following approximate times: 6:47 a.m. on WYTV, 9:43 a.m. on WKBN, 10:58 a.m. on FOX and 8:12 p.m. on MyYTV. Video will be posted here the day of airing.

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