Authorities have reported that a former law enforcement officer from North Carolina allegedly intended to carry out a mass shooting targeting Black individuals at a major festival in New Orleans. The suspect was apprehended at a hotel in Florida, where police recovered a handgun and hundreds of rounds of ammunition.
Arrest and Charges
The Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office in Florida confirmed the arrest of Christopher Gillum, a resident of Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Gillum was wanted for “terroristic threats,” according to a statement released Thursday. Federal authorities informed the sheriff's office that Gillum was in the Florida Panhandle and “heading to do a mass shooting at a large festival in Louisiana.” The specific festival was not named, but the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, commonly known as Jazz Fest, began on Thursday and runs through May 3. Organizers reported that the event attracted approximately 460,000 attendees last year.
The sheriff's office stated that Gillum was arrested without incident on Wednesday evening at a hotel in Destin. A photograph shows him being led away in handcuffs. Deputies seized a handgun and about 200 rounds of ammunition from his hotel room. Gillum is being held as a fugitive from justice and will be extradited to Louisiana to face charges. It remains unclear whether he has legal representation.
Background and Threats
Gillum's family reported him missing on Tuesday, and authorities noted a history of self-harm. According to Lieutenant Clint Lyons of the Alamance County Sheriff's Office in North Carolina, Gillum's family informed law enforcement that he possessed a firearm and had recently made threats to harm Black people. A bulletin from police in Burlington, North Carolina, corroborated this information.
Lyons explained that Gillum crossed state lines before his agency could file paperwork for involuntary psychiatric commitment. He noted that there were no criminal grounds to detain Gillum despite his comments about Black people “because there was no victim.” However, Lyons emphasized the need to share the information, stating, “We felt that there was definitely something there that needed to be shared, so that’s what we did.”
Gillum was initially located and stopped by law enforcement in Okaloosa County on Wednesday. However, according to the Burlington police bulletin, he “did not present any grounds for involuntary commitment or criminal charges” and was allowed to proceed. Gillum informed officers that he was “enroute to New Orleans.”
Law Enforcement Response
Okaloosa deputies were initially asked to perform a “welfare check” on Gillum on Wednesday morning and were unaware of any threats, according to sheriff spokesperson Michele Nicholson. Later that day, after learning of the federal investigation, deputies surveilled him until a signed warrant arrived from Louisiana.
Gillum had been employed as a detention officer by the Orange County Sheriff's Office in North Carolina in October 2023 but left in July 2024. He was rehired as a deputy on January 13, 2025, and resigned on September 21, 2025, after which he was terminated. He also served as a sworn police officer for Chapel Hill from 2004 until his resignation in 2019, later returning as a non-sworn employee in 2024 before leaving for another job.
Louisiana State Police spokesperson Trooper Danny Berrincha stated that the agency is investigating the incident with the FBI. He added, “At this time, there are no known direct threats to any festivals in Louisiana.” The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival released a statement expressing cooperation with law enforcement and applauding their efforts, saying, “We look forward to another safe and joyful Jazz Fest.”
