Former NC Officer Mass Shooting Plot stopped after a former Chapel Hill police officer is arrested in Florida with weapons and alleged plans to attack the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival.
DESTIN, FL. — A former Chapel Hill, North Carolina, police officer has been arrested in a Florida beach town hotel room after authorities say he was armed and ready to commit a mass shooting at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival — one of the biggest parties in the South — before going out by “suicide by cop.”
Christopher Gillum, 45, of Chapel Hill, was taken into custody Wednesday evening at a hotel on Scenic Highway 98 in Destin. Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office deputies recovered a handgun and roughly 200 rounds of ammunition from his room, according to officials.
“This disturbing case highlights how technology like FLOCK and strong partnerships between agencies can help prevent potential violence and bring wanted fugitives into custody safely before a tragedy could occur,” Sheriff Eric Aden said in a statement.
Deputies used the county’s FLOCK license plate reader cameras after a federal tip placed the wanted man in the area.
In a statement released Thursday, the Town of Chapel Hill revealed Gillum previously worked as a sworn police officer from 2004 until his resignation in 2019. He even returned in 2024 as a non-sworn employee before leaving for another job by the end of the year.
Reports indicate Gillum had prior law enforcement stints with other North Carolina agencies as well. Sources close to the case say his own family reportedly contacted authorities with concerns — including that he possessed a Glock handgun and had made threats tied to harming Black people.
Organizers of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival — which draws massive crowds for music, food, and culture every year — released a statement expressing relief:
“As always, we coordinate closely with the FBI, Louisiana State Police, NOPD, NOCEM, and other agencies, and we will continue to do so as we look forward to another safe and joyful Jazz Fest.”
Gillum is being held in the Okaloosa County Jail pending extradition to Louisiana, where he faces charges of making terroristic threats in Orleans Parish.
