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By Kate Plummer
Senior US News Reporter
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Two suspects have been arrested for negligent discharge after a possible shooting outside OpenAI CEO Sam Altman's home.
Authorities arrested 25-year-old Amanda Tom and 23-year-old Muhamad Tarik Hussein after officers responded at 2:56 a.m. on Sunday to a possible shooting at a residence in Russian Hill, a San Francisco Police Department release said.
Officers learned that a vehicle with two occupants drove past the residence around the time and investigators later identified the vehicle as belonging to Tom, police said.
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The police release did not name Altman, but the location was identified by the San Francisco Standard, citing an initial police report.
Newsweek reached out to the SFPD by email to comment on this story outside of normal business hours.
An OpenAI spokesperson told Newsweek the shooting was not related to Altman and that there was no indication of any connection to or targeting of Altman's house.
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Why It Matters
Altman, chief executive of OpenAI, has emerged as one of the most visible figures in the global debate over AI’s economic, political and social impact, placing him—and his company—at the center of broader public tensions. This is the second time in a week that an incident has occurred near his San Francisco home.
What to Know
Police said a residence connected to Tom and Hussein was searched and three firearms were seized.
A 20‑year‑old man accused of throwing a Molotov cocktail at the San Francisco home of the OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and making threats against the company’s headquarters was arrested early Friday, police and the company said.
San Francisco police said officers responded shortly after 4 a.m. to a residence following reports of a fire. Investigators determined that someone had thrown an incendiary device at the home, igniting an exterior gate before fleeing on foot. No injuries were reported.
Less than an hour later, police were called to a business in another part of the city after receiving a report of a man threatening to burn down the building. Officers arriving at the scene recognized the man as the suspect in the earlier incident and detained him, the department said in a post on social media. Authorities have not publicly identified the suspect.
After the incident on Friday, Altman wrote a blog post with a photo showing his husband and child: "Images have power, I hope. Normally we try to be pretty private, but in this case I am sharing a photo 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."
What People Are Saying
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman wrote in a blog post on Friday: "Words have power too. There was an incendiary article about me a few days ago. Someone said to me yesterday they thought it was coming at a time of great anxiety about AI and that it made things more dangerous for me. I brushed it aside. Now I am awake in the middle of the night and p*****, and thinking that I have underestimated the power of words and narratives."
SFPD Chief Derrick Lew said in a statement: “The SFPD takes crimes involving guns extremely seriously, and anyone committing acts like these will be arrested and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. I want to thank our officers whose swift actions identified these suspects, took them into custody, and got dangerous weapons off our streets.”
OpenAI previously told Newsweek via email: "Early this morning, someone threw a Molotov cocktail at Sam Altman’s home and also made threats at our San Francisco headquarters. Thankfully, no one was hurt. We deeply appreciate how quickly SFPD responded and the support from the city in helping keep our employees safe. The individual is in custody, and we’re assisting law enforcement with their investigation."
What Happens Next
The police said the investigation remains "open and active" and has urged anyone with information to contact them.
Update, 4/13/26, 10:34 a.m. ET: This article has been updated with comment from an Open AI spokesperson.
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