A 20-year-old Texas man who allegedly firebombed OpenAI CEO Sam Altman’s home in San Francisco referenced Luigi Mangione, who is accused of fatally shooting UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
The suspect, Daniel Moreno-Gama allegedly traveled from Texas to California with several weapons, a Molotov cocktail, and a manifesto in which he railed against artificial intelligence. He believed the technology poses an existential threat.
The San Francisco District Attorney’s office in a press release said the suspect is facing multiple felony charges connected to the attack.
We are learning more about Daniel Moreno-Gama, the 20-year-old, who allegedly threw a Molotov cocktail at Open AI CEO Sam Altman’s house.
— Power to the People ☭🕊 (@ProudSocialist) April 16, 2026
Court docs claim Gama wrote a paper warning AI will exterminate humanity and therefore believed violence against Big Tech CEOs is justified. pic.twitter.com/jfbqBqGZNh
The incident occurred early in the morning on April 10 when Moreno-Gama allegedly hurled the Molotov cocktail at an exterior gate of Altman’s home. The device ignited a fire on the property and the suspect fled on foot.
The authorities said he had a knife, a gun, ammunition, and a written list of targets that included AI executives and investors.
Moreno-Gama allegedly showed up at OpenAI’s headquarters less than an hour after targeting Altman’s home. Surveillance footage reportedly shows him using a chair to try to break the glass doors as he threatened to burn the building down and “kill anyone inside.”
No injuries were reported at Altman’s home or the company headquarters.
Months before the attack, Moreno-Garcia cited Mangione as an inspiration for the attack in private conversations. In chat messages exchanged with producers of “The Last Invention” podcast, he suggested “Luigi’ing some tech CEOs.”
🚨 NOW: The FBI is RAIDING the home of a 20-year-old man who threw a molotov cocktail at the home of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) April 13, 2026
Over a DOZEN federal agents are executing this search warrant.
The suspect's motive was supposedly due to strong anti-AI sentiments, and other AI CEOs were… pic.twitter.com/Pe8zNRkCsT
He appeared on the podcast in January. When the hosts pressed him on his Mangione comments, he walked them back and affirmed that political violence was not “worth it” while insisting that AI could bring about “our impending extinction.”
Moreno-Gama is facing state and federal charges, including two counts of attempted murder, attempted arson, and explosives and firearms charges that could land him in prison for decades if he is convicted.
San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins said the incident was a “targeted attack” on Altman. The suspect appeared in court recently but did not enter a plea. The judge granted his attorney’s request to delay his arraignment to May 5. His public defender characterized his actions as a property crime that is being overcharged to win “political points.”