Christopher Gillum faces charges of making terroristic threats. Photo courtesy the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office
April 23 (UPI) — Law enforcement in Louisiana announced Thursday that they arrested a former police officer from North Carolina on allegations he planned to carry out a mass shooting at a New Orleans music festival.
The Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office arrested Christopher Gillum, 44, on Wednesday night while he was en route to Orleans Parish. The sheriff’s office said he had a handgun and about 200 rounds of ammunition in his Destin hotel room.
He was wanted by the Louisiana Department of Public Safety in Orleans Parish on charges of terroristic threats. Officials said he planned to “commit suicide by cop” after the mass shooting, WTVD-TV in North Carolina reported.
New Orleans Mayor Helena Moreno praised the work of the law enforcement agencies responsible for capturing Gillum.
“This level of coordination extended to law enforcement agencies in multiple states from North Carolina to Florida,” she said. “This is where urgent collaboration and cooperation pays off.”
The Chapel Hill Police Department told WTVD that Gillum was a police officer from 2004 to 2019 and returned as a non-sworn-in employee in 2024. The Orange County Sheriff’s Office said he worked as a detention officer from October 2023 to July 2024 and as a deputy from January 2025 to September 2025.
The Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office said it used the Flock camera system to verify his presence in the county. The company operates automatic license plate readers throughout the country.
“This disturbing case highlights how technology like FLOCK and strong partnerships between agencies can help prevent potential violence and bring fugitives into custody safely before a tragedy could occur,” Sheriff Eric Aden said.
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