CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Authorities have apprehended a North Carolina man in Florida, accused of plotting a mass shooting in New Orleans.
Christopher Gillum, a resident of Chapel Hill, was detained Wednesday evening by deputies from the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office at a hotel in Destin. Officials tracked him using the county’s Flock camera system after receiving a tip-off about his whereabouts.
Gillum faces charges in Orleans Parish, brought by the Louisiana Department of Public Safety, for making terroristic threats. According to authorities, it was uncovered that he intended to attend a New Orleans festival to execute a mass shooting and subsequently provoke a lethal response from law enforcement.
Upon arrest, deputies discovered a handgun and approximately 200 rounds of ammunition in Gillum’s hotel room located on Scenic Highway 98.
Chapel Hill Police informed ABC’s Raleigh-Durham station, WTVD, that Gillum was a police officer from 2004 until 2019. He briefly returned in 2024 as a non-sworn staff member before moving on to a different position later that year.
The Orange County Sheriff’s Office confirmed Gillum’s employment history as a detention officer from October 2023 to July 2024, followed by a stint as a deputy from January to September 2025.
New Orleans Mayor Helena Moreno released a statement on the arrest:
“I want to recognize the tremendous coordinated and swift work by the New Orleans FBI, Louisiana State Police, NOPD, NOCEM and Governor. This level of coordination extended to law enforcement agencies in multiple states from North Carolina to Florida. This is where urgent collaboration and cooperation pays off. Job well done! We will continue working closely with our law enforcement partners at every level to ensure that any potential danger is addressed quickly and decisively. The safety of our residents and visitors will always be my top priority.”
Gillum is being held in the Okaloosa County Jail while awaiting extradition to Louisiana.
Additional information is being released by the Louisiana Department of Public Safety.
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