OpenAI CEO Sam Altman’s home struck by gunfire, days after Molotov cocktail attack

(ABC) — Just two days after a man was arrested for allegedly throwing a Molotov cocktail at the San Francisco home of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, his residence was struck by gunfire, police said.

The San Francisco Police Department arrested two individuals who allegedly fired shots from a vehicle at Altman’s home early Sunday morning.

Amanda Tom, 25, and Muhamad Tarik Hussein, 23, were arrested without incident at a separate residence in San Francisco, police said. A search warrant for the residence was conducted, with officers saying three firearms were seized.

It is unclear if the suspects deliberately targeted Altman’s home.

The incident Sunday comes as Altman’s home was the subject of a Molotov cocktail attack just two days ago, on Friday, according to the San Francisco Police Department and OpenAI.

The incident unfolded around 4 a.m. Friday when someone “threw an incendiary destructive device” at the house, which sparked a fire on an exterior gate, police said. No one was injured.

The suspect fled on foot, but police said his description was dispatched to officers.

Around 5 a.m., officers responded to OpenAI’s headquarters, where a man was allegedly threatening to burn down a building, and they “recognized the male to be the same suspect from the earlier incident,” police said.

The 20-year-old suspect was arrested and charges are pending, police said.

The San Francisco District Attorney’s Office told ABC News that it could be next week until decisions are made on whether it’s a local or federal case and charges are filed.

Sources briefed on the investigation told ABC News that investigators are trying to understand the incident and motive. It’s not yet clear if it was a mental health incident, a disgruntled current or former employee or some form of domestic terrorism, the sources said.

The company said the situation is under control and there is no immediate threat to its offices.

“We deeply appreciate how quickly SFPD responded and the support from the city in helping keep our employees safe,” OpenAI said in a statement. “We’re assisting law enforcement with their investigation.”

Altman responded to the incident in a lengthy blog post on Friday, in which he shared a photo of his family “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 said that amid debates on the Artificial General Intelligence industry, “we should de-escalate the rhetoric and tactics and try to have fewer explosions in fewer homes, figuratively and literally.”

The SFPD’s Special Investigations and Arson Units are leading the investigation, the company said. The FBI said it’s aware of the incident and is working with San Francisco police.