On a Sunday morning, Balmer made a roughly hour-long walk from his residence in Harrisburg to the governor’s mansion. According to a police interview, upon his arrival, he breached the property’s perimeter by climbing over the fence and proceeded to smash two windows using a hammer. He then launched an incendiary device through one of the shattered windows, igniting a fire, before entering the building through the other window.
Once inside, Balmer reportedly threw another incendiary device, further spreading flames throughout the residence. He then forcefully kicked down a dining room door before making his escape from the premises. Notably, Balmer spent less than a minute in the governor’s home and managed to evade law enforcement officers who were actively searching for him at the time, as detailed in the affidavit supported by security camera footage.