A 20-year-old Texas man has been charged in California with attempted murder and attempted arson after authorities said he threw an incendiary device at the San Francisco home of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and later threatened to burn down the company's headquarters.
San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins identified the suspect as Daniel Moreno-Gama and said prosecutors filed two counts of attempted murder, along with attempted arson and other charges tied to the April 10 attack. Jenkins said the case is being treated as an attempt on Altman's life and a threat to people connected to OpenAI.
According to the criminal complaint described by federal authorities, Moreno-Gama allegedly used a Molotov cocktail-style incendiary device at Altman's residence, causing a fire at an exterior gate before fleeing on foot. Police said no one was injured in the incident, according to Aljazeera.
Authorities said Moreno-Gama later went to OpenAI's headquarters in San Francisco, where he allegedly struck glass doors with a chair and threatened to burn the building and kill anyone inside. He was arrested outside the offices the same night.
Investigators said they recovered additional incendiary devices, kerosene, and a lighter among his belongings. Federal prosecutors also charged him with possession of an unregistered firearm and damaging property by means of explosives, the Associated Press reported.
Altman has also faced other recent security incidents and public backlash tied to OpenAI's work. Police said a man made violent threats against OpenAI's San Francisco office last November, leading to a temporary lockdown, and protesters gathered outside the company's headquarters in March after a Pentagon-related deal drew criticism.
The case has moved through both state and federal tracks, and officials said they are examining whether it should be treated as domestic terrorism. Federal authorities said the conduct appeared planned and targeted, while state prosecutors said the charges could carry a sentence ranging from 19 years to life in prison if he is convicted.
OpenAI said at the time that no employees were harmed and thanked police for their response. Authorities have not publicly confirmed whether Altman was inside the home when the device was thrown, as per AJC.
Originally published on Lawyer Herald
