Sam Altman Attack Suspect Charged With Attempted Murder — Carried Hit List of AI Executives
Summary
A 20-year-old Texas man who allegedly threw a Molotov cocktail at OpenAI CEO Sam Altman’s San Francisco home and then attacked the company’s headquarters has been charged with attempted murder, arson, and federal explosives offenses. He was carrying a document listing names and addresses of AI executives and warning of humanity’s extinction from artificial intelligence.
Daniel Moreno-Gama faces both state and federal charges after allegedly launching a Molotov cocktail-style device at Altman’s home at approximately 3:37 a.m. on Friday before traveling to OpenAI’s headquarters, where he struck the building’s glass doors with a chair and told security guards he intended to burn the building down and kill everyone inside, according to a federal criminal complaint filed Monday in California’s northern district, as reported by the Wall Street Journal.
No one was injured in either attack. Officers arrested Moreno-Gama at the scene and recovered incendiary devices, a jug of kerosene, a lighter, and a multi-part document he had apparently authored. The document, described as an anti-AI manifesto, contained names and addresses of AI company board members, chief executives, and investors. One section discussed what the suspect described as humanity’s impending extinction from artificial intelligence.
In a passage styled as a letter addressed directly to Altman, the suspect wrote that if the CEO survived, he should take it as a sign to change course, according to the complaint. Another section stated that he needed to lead by example if he was going to advocate for violence against AI leaders.
U.S. Attorney Craig Missakian said at a news briefing Monday that Moreno-Gama traveled from Texas with premeditated plans. Authorities searched his home in Spring, Texas, and confirmed he had emailed a version of the document to peers at Lone Star College, a community college he was recently affiliated with.
Under California state charges, Moreno-Gama faces a maximum penalty of 19 years to life for attempted murder of Altman and a security guard, attempted arson, and possession of a destructive device, according to San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins. Federal prosecutors have charged him with firearm possession and attempting to damage property using explosives, and said they are weighing domestic terrorism charges if evidence shows the suspect was trying to influence public policy.
The attack has intensified concerns about the physical safety of prominent AI figures as public debate over the technology grows more heated. Altman shared a photo of his family alongside a statement released Friday, expressing hope that the image might deter future attacks regardless of what people think of him.
Jenkins called for a broader de-escalation, warning that incendiary rhetoric in discussions about artificial intelligence carries real-world consequences. Authorities said they notified everyone named in the suspect’s document but do not believe those individuals face specific ongoing threats.