Federal and state law enforcement agencies arrested a former North Carolina police officer at a Florida hotel Wednesday after receiving intelligence that he planned to carry out a mass shooting at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, which begins Thursday and attracts nearly half a million people annually.

Armed and Dangerous in Destin

Christopher Gillum, who served as a Chapel Hill police officer from 2004 to 2019, was taken into custody without incident at a hotel on Scenic Highway 98 in Destin, Florida. The Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office recovered a handgun and approximately 200 rounds of ammunition from his hotel room. Gillum faces a terroristic threats charge in Orleans Parish and is being held pending extradition to Louisiana. Authorities said he planned to commit “suicide by cop” after the attack.

Family Warned of Racial Threats

Gillum’s family reported him missing Tuesday and alerted North Carolina authorities that he possessed a firearm and had recently expressed threats to harm Black people. Lt. Clint Lyons of the Alamance County Sheriff’s Office said Gillum crossed state lines before they could prepare paperwork for involuntary psychiatric commitment. Despite his documented threats, authorities noted there were no criminal grounds to detain him initially because no specific victim had been identified.

Troubling History Emerges

Law enforcement stopped Gillum in Okaloosa County Wednesday, but he presented no grounds for involuntary commitment or criminal charges at that time. Officers let him continue after he told them he was traveling to New Orleans. Gillum has a documented history of self-harm and went missing last fall before being found in the mountains. He also worked for the Orange County Sheriff’s Office as a detention officer in 2023 and later as a deputy in 2025, resigning from both positions without facing disciplinary action.

Festival Security Enhanced

While authorities did not officially name the targeted event, the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival issued a statement after the arrest emphasizing their coordination with the FBI, Louisiana State Police, NOPD, and other agencies. Mayor Helena Moreno praised the swift collaboration between local, state, and federal law enforcement. Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill expressed confidence in event security, calling the arrest a demonstration of how technology and multi-agency coordination can prevent potential violence before it occurs.