Florida police say they foiled planned mass shooting at New Orleans festival

Florida authorities say they intercepted a man accused of plotting a mass shooting at a major New Orleans festival, arresting him in a Destin hotel room before he could reach the event.

Deputies identified the suspect as Christopher Gillum, 45, of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and said he was taken into custody without incident Wednesday night, April 22, at a hotel in Destin. Okaloosa County deputies said they used the county’s Flock camera system to confirm his location after receiving information that he was in the area. Inside the room, investigators recovered a handgun and about 200 rounds of ammunition. Gillum was wanted in Orleans Parish, Louisiana, on a charge of making terroristic threats and was being held in the Okaloosa County Jail pending extradition.

Investigators said federal authorities told them Gillum was in the Florida Panhandle “heading to do a mass shooting at a large festival in Louisiana.” They said he planned to travel to New Orleans, carry out a mass shooting and then attempt “suicide by cop.” Family members had reported him missing on Tuesday, and police said he had a history of self-harm. Law enforcement in Burlington, North Carolina, issued an intelligence bulletin after relatives told officers he had recently expressed threats to harm “Black people.”

The festival was not formally named in the initial law enforcement description, but multiple reports identified it as the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, better known as Jazz Fest. The event opened Thursday, April 23, and runs through May 3 at the Fair Grounds Race Course. Organizers said last year’s turnout reached about 460,000 visitors, while the festival’s official materials describe it as a 10-day cultural feast that typically welcomes about 400,000 people a year.

New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell praised the arrest and said the coordinated effort across agencies prevented what could have been a tragedy. Okaloosa County Sheriff Eric Aden said the case showed how technology such as Flock and interagency partnerships can help stop potential violence before it reaches a crowded public event. The FBI in New Orleans said it is working with law enforcement in North Carolina, Florida and Louisiana as the investigation continues.

Gillum’s background is also drawing scrutiny. He served as a sworn Chapel Hill police officer from 2004 until 2019, later returned in a non-sworn role in 2024, and worked for Orange County, North Carolina, first as a detention officer from October 2023 to July 2024, then as a deputy from January 13, 2025, until his resignation on September 21, 2025. Orange County Sheriff’s Office named him Officer of the Month in June 2025 for his work on a gas station robbery case.