A former police officer who reportedly planned to carry out a mass shooting at a huge festival in Louisiana was arrested Wednesday night in a Florida hotel, where detectives discovered a gun and roughly 200 rounds of ammunition, according to authorities.
The Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office announced Thursday that Christopher Gillum, a resident of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, was detained at a motel in Destin, Florida, after being wanted by the Louisiana Department of Public Safety for “terroristic threats.” Authorities learned that Gillum planned to travel to a New Orleans festival to carry out a mass shooting before committing suicide by cop, according to the sheriff’s office.
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When officers apprehended Gillum, they found a handgun and around 200 rounds of ammunition in his hotel room, according to the sheriff’s office.
The suspect’s attorney contact information was not immediately available.
Gillum served as a police officer in Chapel Hill from 2004 until his resignation in 2019, according to a town official. He returned as a non-sworn employee in 2024 but left for another job by the end of the year, according to Alex Carrasquillo, the town’s spokesman.
The Orange County, North Carolina, Sheriff’s Office named Gillum Officer of the Month in June 2025, according to a social media post confirmed by ABC affiliate WTVD.
The post praised Gillum for apprehending a suspected gas station robbery suspect. Gillum discovered a single latent fingerprint on a coffee cup used by the thief just before committing the crime. When surveillance footage failed to capture useful photographs, we were able to identify and apprehend the perpetrator using this print. “Well done, Deputy Gillum,” the post read.
Gillum was in a Florida jail awaiting extradition to Louisiana, according to the sheriff’s office.
The Louisiana State Police did not specify which festival the suspect was allegedly targeting but stated Thursday that “there are no known direct threats to any festivals in Louisiana.”
According to the department, the state police will continue to work with the FBI on the investigation. The FBI said that there are no known direct threats to any upcoming festivals in Louisiana. “Excellent work by Louisiana State Police and the FBI as part of their Joint Terrorism Task Force on this case,” Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill told ABC News.
