Officials say the accused attacker targeted Sam Altman’s property, then went to OpenAI’s headquarters with more incendiary materials.
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. — Prosecutors in San Francisco say the man accused of attacking a home owned by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman did not stop there, alleging he then went to the company’s headquarters with kerosene, a lighter and threats to burn the building down.
The suspect, 20-year-old Daniel Moreno-Gama of Texas, now faces both state and federal charges after the early April 10 incidents. Officials said no one was hurt, but they described the case as a deliberate attack shaped by the suspect’s hostility toward artificial intelligence and toward executives in the field. Authorities are also examining the episode through the lens of domestic terrorism.
State and federal court records outline a tight timeline. Prosecutors said Moreno-Gama first went to Russian Hill, where Altman owns two neighboring residences, and threw a lit incendiary device at about 3:30 to 3:37 a.m. The fire was limited to the top of a driveway gate, according to the complaint and local prosecutors. He then moved across the city to OpenAI’s headquarters on Third Street. There, authorities said, surveillance video showed him carrying kerosene, taking up a chair and smashing it against glass doors. Security personnel told investigators he said he came to burn the place down and kill anyone inside. Police arrested him at the scene before any larger fire was set, according to the filings.
What has drawn especially close scrutiny is the material officers say they recovered when he was detained. Federal investigators said police found incendiary devices, kerosene, a blue lighter and a document that laid out anti-AI beliefs and named Altman. The complaint says the writing was a three-part series apparently authored by Moreno-Gama. One section declared a warning, another argued that AI posed an existential danger to humanity, and a third was directed to Altman if he survived. Investigators also said the document named other AI leaders and investors. San Francisco prosecutors went further in their release, saying Moreno-Gama allegedly traveled with a knife, a gun, ammunition and a target list. Those details will likely play a central role as prosecutors argue premeditation.
The legal exposure is broad. Jenkins said the state case includes two counts of attempted murder tied to Altman and a security guard, along with attempted arson, arson of a gate, possession of an incendiary device, possession of a destructive device in a public place, possession of a destructive device or explosive with intent to injure, exploding or igniting a destructive device with intent to murder, attempted criminal threats and attempted arson of an occupied building. In federal court, Moreno-Gama was charged with attempted damage and destruction of property by means of explosives and possession of an unregistered firearm, a term that can include certain destructive devices under federal law. Officials said the potential penalties are severe, with state prosecutors saying the local charges alone can carry 19 years to life if he is convicted.
The case also lands in the middle of a wider argument over the speed, power and risk of AI. Authorities said Moreno-Gama had written about humanity’s “impending extinction,” and the OPB/AP report said he had traveled from Spring, Texas, intending to kill Altman. At the same time, groups that have publicly warned about the harms of AI rejected the attack. Future of Life Institute President Anthony Aguirre said violence and intimidation have no place in debate about the technology. PauseAI said the suspect was not acting for the group, though it acknowledged he had posted on one of its Discord forums in the past. Discord later said it banned him over the alleged conduct. Altman, writing after the attack, said concern about AI can be justified while calling for people to de-escalate the rhetoric and tactics around the issue.
Officials say the next phase will unfold in court. The district attorney’s office said Moreno-Gama was scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday afternoon at the Hall of Justice and that prosecutors would seek to keep him in custody without bail. Federal prosecutors had already filed their complaint the day before, and court records did not yet show a lawyer for him. The investigation remains active, which means additional facts, evidence disputes and possibly more charges could emerge as both cases move forward.
Author note: Last updated April 14, 2026.