OpenAI CEO Sam Altman attended an enterprise AI sales event held in Tokyo on February 3, 2025.
Kim Kyung Hoon | Reuters
The man accused of throwing a lit Molotov cocktail at OpenAI CEO Sam Altman’s home last week was motivated by hatred of artificial intelligence technology, prosecutors said Monday.
The San Francisco District Attorney announced Monday that the suspect, Daniel Morenogama, has been charged with attempted murder in the case. Morenogama also faces federal charges, including attempted damage to property with an explosive device and possession of an unregistered firearm, the Justice Department said.
“The charges announced today reflect a deeply concerning escalation of intent and conduct toward violent acts targeting private homes and technology companies,” FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge Matt Cobo said in a statement.
“This is not spontaneous. It is planned, it is targeted and it is extremely serious,” Cobo said at a press conference on Monday.
After Morenogama was arrested following the attack on Friday, San Francisco Police Department officers recovered documents in Morenogama’s possession detailing his intentions, according to a complaint filed Monday in San Francisco federal court. Moreno-Gama stated his purpose in killing Altman and warned of the “imminent extinction” of humanity by AI.
Altman’s direct name is not listed in the filing, but “Victim-1” is described as the chief executive officer of “a research company that deploys and develops artificial intelligence (AI) to conduct interstate and international commerce.”
In the first section of the document, titled “Final Warning,” Moreno-Gama “stated that he had ‘killed/attempted to kill’ Victim-1.” The complaint also allegedly lists the names and addresses of several AI executives, board members, and investors.
The second section of the document considered the risks that AI poses to humanity and was titled “A further word on the issue of looming extinction,” according to the filing. According to the filing, Moreno-Gama wrote directly to Altman and concluded the document by saying, “If by some miracle you are alive, I will accept this as a sign from God to redeem myself.”
FBI Director Kash Patel said Monday that the FBI and its partners conducted an operation in Texas related to the attack on Altman’s home.
Daniel Moreno Gama
Source: Northern District of California.
On Friday, Morenogama threw a “lit Molotov cocktail-style incendiary device” at Attleman’s home around 3:37 a.m., according to the complaint. The device caused a fire above the driveway gate, but no injuries were reported and Morenogama escaped.
The suspect arrived at OpenAI’s headquarters around 5 a.m., threw a chair at the glass door and threatened to “burn it down and kill everyone inside,” according to the filing. Police were called to the scene and Morenogama was arrested.
An OpenAI spokesperson confirmed the attack in a statement Friday, saying, “Fortunately, no one was injured.”
“We deeply appreciate SFPD’s quick response and the City’s assistance in keeping our employees safe,” OpenAI said in a statement. “The individual is in custody and we are assisting law enforcement with their investigation.”
Altman addressed the attack on his personal blog Friday, sharing a photo of his family and writing, “I underestimated the power of words and stories.” He said it had been a “very intense, chaotic and high-pressure few years” and called for a tone-down in “rhetoric and tactics” within the AI industry.
Altman’s home appears to have been the target of a second attack on Sunday, which involved gunfire. Two people were arrested.
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