Ex-North Carolina Officer Arrested In Florida Over Alleged New Orleans Festival Shooting Plot
The story began when investigators uncovered plans for a mass shooting aimed at a large New Orleans festival. Authorities treated the plot as a serious threat to a crowded, high-profile public event.
Investigators opened an inquiry and moved to locate the person they believed was behind the plot. That inquiry culminated in an arrest in Florida rather than New Orleans.
Initial reports described an arrested suspect planning the attack. More recent reporting identified him as 44-year-old Christopher Gillum of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and disclosed that he is a former North Carolina police officer.
Okaloosa County deputies say they arrested Gillum without incident at a hotel in Destin, Florida. Deputies found a handgun and roughly 200 rounds of ammunition in his room, and he has been accused of plotting the mass shooting at the New Orleans festival.
đ Key Facts
- The suspect is identified as 44-year-old Christopher Gillum of Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
- Authorities say Gillum is a former North Carolina police officer.
- He is accused of planning a mass shooting at a New Orleans festival.
- Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office reports he was arrested without incident at a hotel in Destin, Florida.
- Deputies say they found a handgun and approximately 200 rounds of ammunition in his hotel room.
đ° Source Timeline (2)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- Suspect is identified as 44-year-old Christopher Gillum of Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
- Authorities say Gillum is a former North Carolina police officer.
- Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office reports he was arrested without incident at a Destin, Florida hotel.
- Deputies say they found a handgun and approximately 200 rounds of ammunition in his hotel room.