Sam Altman Molotov cocktail attacker identified as 20-year-old Texas man who had a list of AI executives and their addresses

by | Apr 13, 2026 | E-commerce News

Daniel Moreno-Gama, a 20-year-old from Spring, Texas, was charged with attempted murder and attempted arson after authorities say he traveled to San Francisco, threw a Molotov cocktail-like device at Sam Altman's home, and then went to OpenAI's offices carrying a jug of kerosene and told security he was “there to burn it down and kill anyone inside.” Authorities found a document in which Moreno-Gama had written at length about AI's threat to humanity, included the names and addresses of other AI executives, investors, and board members, and stated that he intended to “lead by example” for others he was advocating to commit crimes. The 11 California charges he faces could carry a sentence of 19 years to life, and federal prosecutors said the attack could be treated as an act of domestic terrorism.

Paul Drecksler is the founder and editor of Shopifreaks E-commerce Newsletter, covering the most important stories in e-commerce.

Never miss important e-commerce news

Our weekly newsletter is read religiously by 20,000+ e-commerce professionals.

Loading...