2 arrested after apparent shooting near OpenAI CEO Sam Altman’s home days after Molotov cocktail attack

SAN FRANCISCO — Two days after a Molotov cocktail was thrown at OpenAI CEO Sam Altman’s San Francisco home, two people were arrested for allegedly firing a gun in the same neighborhood. 

The San Francisco Standard reported the shooting happened around 1:40 a.m. in Altman’s neighborhood. 

The San Francisco Police Department said they learned a car drove past “a residence” around the time of the possible shooting, leading to the arrest of Amanda Tom, 25, and Muhamad Hussein, 23. Both were booked into the San Francisco County Jail and charged with negligent discharge of a firearm, police said in a press release. 

No one was injured in the shooting and it’s unclear if anyone was home at the time. It’s also unclear if the home was targeted, or if the The shooting is still under investigation, and the motive is not clear.  

The shooting came two days after a 20-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of throwing a Molotov cocktail at the home. 

OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT, released a statement confirming that the home belongs to Altman and that the threats were made at its headquarters. No one was hurt, the company said, and OpenAI is assisting in the investigation.

Authorities haven’t charged or released details about the man they arrested, including his name or a possible motive.

The first attack prompted Altman to write a blog post alongside a photo of his son and husband, hoping to “dissuade the next person from throwing a Molotov cocktail at our house, no matter what they think about me.”

Altman, the co-founder and CEO, has become a preeminent voice in Silicon Valley on the promise and potential dangers of artificial intelligence. He was fired by OpenAI in 2023 after a review found he was “not consistently candid in his communications” with the board of directors, but he was rehired just days later. He returned as CEO under a different board of directors.

Altman is a controversial figure, and the attacks came days after the New Yorker published an in-depth investigation that touched on concerns some people have about him and the company.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.