Ex-officer planned to kill Black people at a New Orleans festival, police say
AP News • • nation
Key Points:
- Christopher Gillum, a former North Carolina law enforcement officer, was arrested in Florida with a handgun and hundreds of rounds of ammunition after planning a mass shooting targeting Black people at a major New Orleans festival, likely the Jazz & Heritage Festival.
- Gillum was wanted for “terroristic threats” and was apprehended without incident at a hotel in Destin, Florida; authorities recovered a handgun and about 200 rounds of ammunition from his room.
- Gillum’s family had reported him missing and expressed concerns about his threats to harm Black people; he has a history of self-harm and had left North Carolina before authorities could initiate involuntary psychiatric treatment.
- Despite his threats, Gillum was initially not detained as there were no immediate criminal grounds, but after surveillance and an arrest warrant from Louisiana, he was taken into custody and will be extradited to face charges.
- Gillum previously served as a sworn police officer in multiple North Carolina law enforcement agencies but resigned from several positions between 2019 and 2025.
