Texas Man Charged with Attempted Murder of OpenAI CEO After Molotov Attack
Daniel Moreno-Gama allegedly carried a manifesto listing AI executives as targets, marking the first major premeditated violence against tech leadership over AI safety ideology.
A 20-year-old Texas man faces two counts of attempted murder following a Molotov cocktail attack on OpenAI CEO Sam Altman’s San Francisco residence on 10 April, with prosecutors treating the incident as a potential act of domestic terrorism. Daniel Moreno-Gama was arrested after surveillance footage captured him outside Altman’s home at approximately 3:37 a.m., according to ABC News. The attack targeted both Altman and a security guard present at the residence.
The Manifesto and Hit List
Authorities recovered a three-part document from Moreno-Gama titled “Your Last Warning” that advocated killing CEOs of AI companies and their investors. The manifesto included names and addresses of board members and executives at multiple AI firms, which Moreno-Gama had emailed to contacts at his former college, Lone Star College in Montgomery, Texas, per CNN. “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,” Moreno-Gama wrote in the document.
“This was not spontaneous. This was planned, targeted and extremely serious.”
— Matt Cobo, FBI San Francisco Acting Special Agent in Charge
Moreno-Gama faces federal charges of damage and destruction of property by means of explosives and possession of an unregistered firearm, in addition to the state-level attempted murder counts. U.S. Attorney Craig Missakian indicated prosecutors would pursue domestic terrorism charges if evidence confirms the attacks were intended to coerce policy changes, according to The Register.
Escalating Security Incidents
The assault on Altman represents the second major security threat to OpenAI in six months. In November 2025, the company ordered employees to shelter in place after Sam Kirchner, a cofounder of the anti-AI group Stop AI, threatened to “murder people” at OpenAI’s San Francisco offices, according to Fortune. Kirchner had previously been involved with Pause AI, another activist organization opposing AI development.
Two additional individuals, aged 23 and 25, were arrested early Sunday morning on 12 April after discharging a firearm near Altman’s residence, though authorities have not confirmed a connection to Moreno-Gama’s attack.
Survey data cited by Fortune indicates 64% of Americans report nervousness about AI-powered products and services, though the survey’s timing was not specified. The data predates the 10 April attack.
Radicalization Pathways Under Scrutiny
The incident has exposed dangerous overlaps between academic AI Safety discourse and extremist ideology. Moreno-Gama’s activity on Pause AI’s Discord server raised questions about how online communities discussing existential AI risks might inadvertently enable Radicalization among vulnerable individuals. Mauro Lubrano, a University of Bath lecturer and author of Stop the Machines: The Rise of Anti-Technology Extremism, cautioned against conflating activist groups with violent actors, telling Fortune: “I think it’s easy to conflate all of these groups and movements that are trying to raise awareness of some of the dangers of AI.”
Valerie Sizemore, coleader of Stop AI, argued the attack reinforces the importance of nonviolent organizing. “Personally, I think it’s all the more important for the nonviolent organizing we’re doing, to give people something other than violence to do,” she said.
- First premeditated violence targeting tech executives over AI ideology, establishing precedent for domestic terrorism charges
- Other AI leaders named in manifesto now face acute security decisions with limited legal frameworks for liability
- Platform governance gaps exposed as Discord and similar services host communities where academic safety debates blur into extremism
- Corporate security protocols inadequate for ideologically motivated threats distinct from traditional stalking or corporate espionage
San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins described the incident unambiguously: “We interpret this behavior for just what it is: An attempt on Mr. Altman’s life and an extreme danger to those around him and those who work for his company,” she stated at a 13 April press conference, per ABC News.
Altman’s Response
Altman broke from his typical privacy protocols to publicly share a photo of the attack damage. “Normally we try to be pretty private, but in this case I am sharing a photo in the hopes that it might dissuade the next person from throwing a Molotov cocktail at our house, no matter what they think about me,” he wrote, according to NPR. He later called for moderation in AI policy debates: “While we have that debate, we should de-escalate the rhetoric and tactics and try to have fewer explosions in fewer homes, figuratively and literally.”
What to Watch
Prosecutors stated the investigation is in its early stages, with domestic terrorism designation pending completion of evidence review. The case could establish legal precedent for how ideologically motivated attacks on tech executives are prosecuted and classified. Other AI companies will likely reassess executive protection protocols, particularly for leaders named in extremist materials. Platform operators hosting AI safety communities face pressure to implement clearer moderation policies distinguishing academic debate from incitement. Defence filings suggesting Moreno-Gama experienced a mental health crisis may shape legal strategy and sentencing frameworks for technology-focused extremism cases going forward.