A 20-year-old Texas man has been charged with attempted murder after allegedly throwing a Molotov cocktail at the San Francisco home of OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman on 10 April 2026, in what authorities described as a premeditated attack motivated by opposition to artificial intelligence; it was the first of two separate incidents targeting Altman’s residence within four days.
Daniel Alejandro Moreno-Gama travelled from the Houston area to San Francisco specifically to carry out the attack, according to law enforcement officials. Surveillance footage captured Moreno-Gama allegedly throwing an incendiary device at the exterior gate of Altman’s home before fleeing on foot.
The gate caught fire but no injuries were reported. Moreno-Gama was arrested later that same day after appearing at OpenAI’s company headquarters in San Francisco and threatening to burn down the building.
What authorities found and the charges filed
When Moreno-Gama was arrested, investigators found a document in his possession in which he had “identified views opposed to Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the executives of various AI companies,” according to charging documents cited by the San Francisco District Attorney’s office.
He has been charged with attempted murder, arson, and possession or manufacture of an incendiary device, among other state felonies.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation subsequently raided a home in The Woodlands area of Spring, Texas, connected to Moreno-Gama, as part of its parallel federal investigation into the attack.
FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed the operation on social media, writing:
“This morning, the FBI and partners conducted an operation in Texas, related to a subject in custody allegedly in connection with the attack on Open AI CEO Sam Altman’s home on Friday morning. Thank you to our agents, intel teams, and partners for the coordination.”
San Francisco Police Department Chief Derrick Lew addressed the broader pattern of violent incidents in the city, stating:
“The SFPD takes crimes involving guns extremely seriously, and anyone committing acts like these will be arrested and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
A second attack two days later
A second incident at Altman’s home was reported on Sunday, 12 April 2026, two days after the Molotov cocktail attack. The San Francisco Police Department announced the arrests of Amanda Tom, 25, and Muhamad Tarik Hussein, 23, both booked on suspicion of negligent discharge of a firearm.
No injuries were reported in the second incident either.
The twin attacks have intensified debate in technology and security circles about the growing radicalisation of anti-AI sentiment and the physical risks now faced by prominent figures in the artificial intelligence industry.
The attacks arrive at a moment when artificial intelligence has become one of the most contested technologies in global public life.
In South Africa, where AI is being adopted at pace across banking, healthcare and media, the violence targeting Altman raises sobering questions about how societies navigate the anxieties that transformative technologies generate.
OpenAI’s ChatGPT and associated products have millions of users across the African continent.
Moreno-Gama’s alleged targeting of AI executives, documented in writing found on his person, suggests a degree of premeditation that law enforcement officials say distinguishes this case from random acts of violence.
The investigation remains ongoing, with federal charges potentially carrying significantly heavier penalties than the state charges already filed.
