San Francisco’s district attorney formally charged a 20-year-old man, Daniel Moreno-Gama, on Monday, for throwing a Molotov cocktail at OpenAI CEO Sam Altman’s residence. He faces two counts of attempted murder, with a maximum sentence of life in prison; the FBI also found a handwritten document on him, listing the names and home addresses of multiple AI executives.
(Background: OpenAI CEO Sam Altman’s home was hit with a Molotov cocktail! Late-night post reflecting: AGI is like “The Lord of the Rings,” and AI power must be democratized).
(Additional context: After a hacker bought 30 WordPress plugins and implanted backdoors, they lay in wait for 8 months, using Ethereum smart contracts to bypass domain blocking)
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- Molotov cocktail thrown at Altman’s residence
- Handwritten document includes the home addresses of multiple AI executives
- Altman’s residence attacked again
- Altman posted late Friday night
On Monday, the San Francisco district attorney officially charged 20-year-old Daniel Moreno-Gama. The charges include 2 counts of attempted murder, targeting OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and the security guard on site at the time of the incident.
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) also added federal charges: attempting to destroy property with explosives and possessing an unregistered firearm. The combined maximum penalty for the two counts of attempted murder is 19 years to life in prison.
Molotov cocktail thrown at Altman’s residence
Turn the clock back to 3:37 a.m. on April 10. Moreno-Gama appeared outside Altman’s private residence in San Francisco and threw a Molotov cocktail at the home. About 90 minutes later, he went to the OpenAI headquarters, smashed the glass front door with a chair, and loudly threatened that he would “burn down the entire building and kill everyone inside.” Police then arrested him.
FBI agent Matt Cobo said bluntly at the press conference for the charges: “This is not a spur-of-the-moment impulse. It’s a planned, targeted, and extremely serious criminal act.”
Handwritten document includes the home addresses of multiple AI executives
The FBI also recovered a handwritten document from Moreno-Gama, and its contents have put investigators on high alert.
The first section of the document is titled “Your Last Warning,” and it claims that he “killed/attempted to kill” Altman, listing the names and home addresses of multiple AI industry executives, board members, and investors.
The conclusion directly addresses Altman: “If you miraculously made it through alive, I will take this as God’s will and give you the opportunity to atone.”
Most critically, this document includes the names and private home addresses of multiple AI executives, board members, and investors, indicating that the potential threat involved in this case goes far beyond Altman alone. FBI director Kash Patel said the FBI has carried out actions related to this case in Texas.
Altman’s residence attacked with gunfire again
Even more unsettling is that the case did not come to a stop there. On Sunday (April 13), Altman’s residence was attacked again—this time with gunfire. Police arrested two suspects. Whether there is any connection between the two incidents is still under investigation.
Altman posted late Friday night
After the initial Molotov cocktail attack, Altman posted a photo of his family on his personal blog late Friday night and added text saying he “underestimated the power of words and narrative,” while calling on all sides in the AI industry to reduce the intensity of confrontation in terms of both language and tactics.
Moreno-Gama is currently being held in custody, awaiting a formal trial. The FBI has classified this case as a targeted violence matter with high priority.
