An ex-North Carolina police officer, accused of plotting a mass shooting targeting Black people at a New Orleans festival, was released on June 25th after an Orleans Parish grand jury declined to indict him, according to court records. The AP first reported the news on August 12th.
In April 2026, Christopher Gillum was arrested in Florida in connection to a Louisiana terrorism-related charge. Authorities alleged he planned to travel to New Orleans to carry out a mass shooting and “commit suicide by cop.” Okaloosa County, FL, deputies report finding a handgun and approximately 200 rounds of ammunition in his hotel room. He was extradited to Louisiana and held there without bond.
Prosecutors cited several jurisdictional issues that complicated the case, noting that the alleged threat, which was communicated to a family member, occurred in North Carolina and that Gillum did not enter Louisiana until after his arrest in Florida.
L-R: Christopher Gillum, holds up his ‘Employee of the Month’ certificate, Gillum’s mugshot photo after Florida arrest, and handgun and ammunition collected by Florida authorities;
Photo Credit: Orange County, NC and
Oklaloosa County Sheriff’s Office
Lester Duhé, a spokesman for the Louisiana attorney general, Liz Murrill, stated that the 45-year-old was headed to Key West, FL, for vacation with a woman during the time he would’ve been in New Orleans to commit the suspected act.
According to ABC 11 News, Duhe reported that Gillum was released to a treatment facility outside of N.C. and is not facing additional criminal charges.
Gillum’s attorney, Dylan Utley, disputed the allegations, calling them “unfortunate and inaccurate” and arguing that the evidence did not support claims that Gillum posed a threat to do any harm in Louisiana.
Gillum, a former Chapel Hill police officer and Orange County sheriff’s deputy and detention officer, last worked in law enforcement in September 2025, as reported by CBS 17.
The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival is held every April in the Big Easy. Just this year, approximately 475,000 people attended the festival, according to a report by NOLA News.
