Chapel Hill, North Carolina – A North Carolina man accused of threatening a mass shooting in New Orleans has been taken into custody in Florida. The authorities said.
Christopher Gillum of Chapel Hill was arrested Wednesday evening at a Destin hotel by Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office deputies. Investigators said they were able to locate Gillum using the county’s Fluke camera system after receiving a tip that he was in the area.
Gillum is wanted in Orleans Parish by the Louisiana Department of Public Safety on charges of terroristic threats. Authorities said they obtained information indicating that Gillum intended to travel to a festival in New Orleans with the intention of carrying out a mass shooting and then “suicide by police.”
Christopher Gillum
Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office
Deputies said they recovered a handgun and about 200 rounds of ammunition from Gillum’s motel room on Interstate 98.
SEE ALSO: Taylor Swift concert attack plot leads to terrorism charges against 21-year-old man
The Chapel Hill Police Department told ABC Raleigh-Durham affiliate ABC WTVD That Gillum served as a police officer from 2004 to 2019. He returned in 2024 as a non-sworn employee before leaving for another job later that year.
The Orange County Sheriff’s Office also confirmed that Gillum worked as a detention officer from October 2023 to July 2024, and then as a deputy from January to September of 2025.
New Orleans Mayor Helena Moreno issued a statement regarding the arrest:
“I want to commend the tremendous coordinated and quick work of the New Orleans FBI, Louisiana State Police, NYPD, NOCEM, and the Governor. This level of coordination extended to law enforcement agencies in multiple states from North Carolina to Florida. This is where urgent cooperation pays off. Job well done! We will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners at every level to ensure that any potential threat is addressed quickly and decisively. The safety of residents and visitors will always be my top priority.”
Gillum is being held in the Okaloosa County Jail awaiting extradition to Louisiana.
Additional information is being released by the Louisiana Department of Public Safety.
Copyright © 2026 WTVD-TV. All rights reserved.