During a brief comment at the start of the most recent Warren City Council meeting, Wortman took the floor via Zoom to address the April 12 arson attack at the governor’s mansion.

“Not only did this attack put the life of our governor at risk but it placed the lives of his family in serious jeopardy as well,” Wortman said. “Thankfully the governor and his family were evacuated safely and were not injured. Our hearts and prayers go out to the Shapiro family. We must condemn in the strongest possible manner this assassination attempt. These actions were taken against the sitting governor by a troubled man in an apparent disagreement with his policies. Never are such actions justifiable.”

The Associated Press has reported that Cody Balmer of Harrisburg harbored hatred toward Shapiro. Several search warrants released recently show Balmer called 911 less than an hour after the fire erupted, promised a confession and talked about Palestinians being killed, police wrote in search warrants. Police quoted Balmer as saying “our people have been put through too much by that monster” and that Shapiro “needs to know that he ‘… will not take part in his plans for what he wants to do to the Palestinian people.'” During a police interview after turning himself in, Balmer “admitted to harboring hatred towards Governor Shapiro,” according to a police affidavit that did not expand on that point.

The attack on Shapiro and his family is the second assassination attempt to take place in Pennsylvania in less than a year after the July 13 attempt on the life of President Donald Trump at a campaign stop in Butler, Pa.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro thanks firefighters in Derry Township, Thursday, April 17, 2025, for their efforts after Sunday’s arson attack at the Governor’s Residence.

“I spoke strongly against the assassination attempt against President Trump in Butler and, unfortunately, now you’re confronted with an assassination attempt against our governor,” Wortman said. “In our nation’s politics we compete on ideas, not with personal destruction or political violence. Our constitutional republic protects the rights of all citizens’ rights not given to us by the government, but contained in our constitutions, inalienable rights endowed by our creator. These rights belong to all of us. Governor Shapiro and all elected officials have sworn an oath to protect defend our constitution. For far too long we have allowed a few but powerful influences to divide us. This must end.”

State House Rep. Josh Siegel, D-Allentown, is circulating a co-sponsorship memorandum that would make attacks like the ones on Trump and Shapiro punishable by life in prison. While the legislation hasn’t been introduced yet, Siegal’s co-sponsorship memorandum echoes a portion of Wortman’s statement – that political violence is unacceptable. Siegel did say his bill would allow life sentences to be imposed by courts without the possibility of parole for those who attack, plot or carry out attacks on public officials in Pennsylvania.

“It is more important now than ever that as a society we universally condemn acts of violence and intimidation directed at our democracy and act with moral clarity about the severity of punishment with which it must be met,” Siegel wrote. “Violence against public officials directly undermines the rule of law and disrupts the functioning of our government.”