The man accused of attempting to murder OpenAI CEO Sam Altman kept a hit list of other tech executives, according to the FBI.
Twenty-year-old Daniel Moreno-Gama, who faces federal charges for possession of an unregistered firearm and attempted destruction of property with explosives, wrote a document that “identified views opposed to Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the executives of various AI companies,” an FBI affidavit revealed Monday.
After detaining Moreno-Gama, officers “recovered incendiary devices, a jug of kerosene, a blue lighter, and a document” from his possession, according to court records.
“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 first part of the document, titled “Your Last Warning.” It listed “the names and addresses of apparent board members and chief executive officers of AI companies and investors.”
Suspect Moreno-Gama at location of crime. (Credit: DOJ/ Screenshot)
In the second part of the document, Moreno-Gama “discussed the purported risk AI poses to humanity.” In a third part addressed to Altman, he wrote, “If by some miracle you live, then I would take this as a sign from the divine to redeem yourself,” per the affidavit.
Moreno-Gama allegedly threw a Molotov cocktail at Altman’s home in San Francisco, California, on Friday before threatening to burn down OpenAI’s headquarters. He traveled from Texas “with a knife, a gun, ammunition, and a list of targets,” according to local prosecutors.
In addition to federal charges, he faces state charges for attempted murder and arson, and his arraignment is scheduled for Tuesday.
“Violence cannot be the norm for expressing disagreement, be it with politics or a technology or any other matter,” acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a statement Monday. “These alleged actions – which damaged property and could well have taken lives – will be aggressively prosecuted.”
Opposition to AI has grown nationally, with voters voicing their frustrations about the developing technology fearful that the models could replace jobs, threaten their privacy and cause homes to be seized through eminent domain to build data centers, among several other concerns.
Supporters of AI counter that data center development is crucial to the future of the economy and necessary to combat rivals such as China.
Luigi Mangione faces charges for allegedly murdering United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson in December 2024. Though prosecutors sought the death penalty, a federal judge took it off the table in January.
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