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In a startling incident in San Francisco, a man has been taken into custody for reportedly hurling a Molotov cocktail at the residence of Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI. This development was confirmed by the company.
Fortunately, no injuries were reported, as confirmed by both the San Francisco Police Department and OpenAI.
The situation unfolded in the early hours of Friday, approximately at 4 a.m., when an individual launched an incendiary device at Altman’s home in the Russian Hill neighborhood, igniting a fire on an exterior gate, according to police reports.
After the attack, the suspect fled the scene on foot. However, officers were quickly provided with his description, enabling a swift response.
About an hour later, at around 5 a.m., police were called to OpenAI’s headquarters. There, a man was allegedly making threats to set the building on fire. Officers on the scene identified him as the same individual involved in the earlier attack, police stated.
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.
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