Man suspected of Molotov attack on Sam Altman's home charged with attempted murder
20-year-old Texan also allegedly planned to kill everyone inside the OpenAI office building
The man accused of attacking Sam Altman's San Francisco home with a Molotov cocktail on April 10 now faces charges of attempted murder.
Daniel Moreno-Gama, 20, of Spring, Texas, allegedly traveled from his hometown to attack the OpenAI CEO's premises before turning his attention to the company's headquarters.
Video evidence taken from security cameras installed at Altman's residence showed a man approaching the tall gates at the bottom of Altman's driveway at around 03:37, launching an incendiary device toward the house and then fleeing the scene.
The criminal complaint [PDF] alleges that Moreno-Gama targeted two neighboring properties, both owned by Altman.
At approximately 05:00, Moreno-Gama allegedly arrived at OpenAI's headquarters in Mission Bay and tried to break down the glass door with a chair, stating that he intended to burn the building and kill everyone inside, according to building security staff.
San Francisco Police Department officers said that when apprehending Moreno-Gama, they found various items typically used to start fires, such as a jug of kerosene and a lighter, as well as a three-part document.
Police said the document included the personal details of AI company CEOs and investors, and advocated for killing AI bosses, as well as other crimes against them.
The first of the three parts was titled "Your Last Warning," in which the author, explicitly identified as Moreno-Gama, stated he intended to kill Altman and called on others to do the same.
"Also, if I am going to advocate for others to kill and commit crimes, then I must lead by example and show that I am fully sincere in my message," the document says, immediately after the statement expressing intent to kill Altman.
The second part of the document, titled "Some more words on the matter of our impending extinction," included the author's views on the risks AI poses to humanity.
The third and final part, titled "To Sam Altman if you make it," was a letter urging the CEO to rethink his career, should he survive the attack.
"If by some miracle you live, then I would take this as a sign from the divine to redeem yourself," the letter reads.
Attempted murder carries a minimum sentence of five years and a maximum of 20 years.
"We will not tolerate any attempt to change the way Americans live and work through fear or violence," said US Attorney Craig Missakian.
"We are only at the beginning of this investigation, but if the evidence shows that Mr Moreno-Gama executed these attacks to change public policy or to coerce government and other officials, we will treat this as an act of domestic terrorism and together with our law enforcement partners prosecute him to the fullest extent allowed by law." ®