Former police officer arrested over alleged mass shooting plot at Louisiana festival


A former police officer who allegedly was traveling to Louisiana to conduct a mass shooting at a large festival was arrested Wednesday night in a Florida hotel where investigators found a gun and nearly 200 rounds of ammunition, authorities said.

Christopher Gillum, of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, was wanted by the Louisiana Department of Public Safety “for terroristic threats” and was arrested at a hotel in Destin, Florida, the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement Thursday.

Christopher Gillum is seen in this undated police handout.

Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office

“Authorities obtained information Gillum planned to travel to a festival in New Orleans to conduct a mass shooting and then commit suicide by cop,” the sheriff’s office said.

When officers arrested Gillum, they recovered a handgun and approximately 200 rounds of ammunition from his hotel room, the sheriff’s office alleged.

Items confiscated from Christopher Gillum during his arrest, April 22, 2026, in Destin, Florida.

Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office

Attorney information for the suspect was not immediately available.

Gillum was a Chapel Hill Police officer from 2004 until 2019, when he resigned, a spokesman for the town of Chapel Hill said in a statement.

“He returned as a non-sworn employee in 2024 before leaving for another job by the end of that year,” Alex Carrasquillo, the town’s spokesman, said in a statement.

Christopher Gillum is arrested by Okaloosa County Sheriffs, April 22, 2026, in Destin, Florida.

Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office

Gillum was being held in a Florida jail and awaiting extradition to Louisiana, the sheriff’s office said.

The Louisiana State Police did not say which festival the suspect was allegedly targeting, but said in a statement Thursday that “there are no known direct threats to any festivals in Louisiana.”

The state police will be conducting the ongoing investigation with the FBI, according to the department. The FBI also reiterated that there are no known direct threats to any festivals scheduled 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 said in a statement to ABC News.



Source link

  • Related Posts

    NFL draft and its many fans bring a city hope — and prompt schools to go virtual

    PITTSBURGH — The school day was starting, but Arnetta Fuqua decided to let her 7-year-old daughter sleep a bit longer. It was a sunny-enough Wednesday in April, but Ralilah, a…

    Trump Talks on Sending Afghans to Congo Draw Bipartisan Ire

    Republicans and Democrats in Congress condemned a plan President Trump is weighing to send Afghans who aided the American military campaign against the Taliban to the Democratic Republic of Congo.…

    Leave a Reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    You Missed

    Lufthansa’s first upgraded A380 enters service

    Lufthansa’s first upgraded A380 enters service

    ‘Mr. Burton’ Exclusive Interview: Toby Jones

    ‘Mr. Burton’ Exclusive Interview: Toby Jones

    Why Kyle Schwarber prevents Phillies from making groundbreaking $115 million trade with Astros

    Why Kyle Schwarber prevents Phillies from making groundbreaking $115 million trade with Astros

    Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced: first details, launches on PS5 July 9 – PlayStation.Blog

    Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced: first details, launches on PS5 July 9 – PlayStation.Blog

    Lebanese Journalist Killed in Israeli Strike Was Known for Being Intrepid

    Lebanese Journalist Killed in Israeli Strike Was Known for Being Intrepid

    Iran war sending condom prices soaring, warns world’s largest manufacturer