A North Carolina man was plotting to commit a mass shooting at a large festival before dying at the hands of police officers when authorities arrested him in Florida with a gun and 200 bullets, local officials said Thursday.
Christopher Gillum of Chapel Hill was arrested without incident after federal authorities contacted the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office, saying he was believed to be in their district. He was located at a Destin hotel as a fugitive, the Sheriff’s Office said.
Christopher Gillum
Courtesy of the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office
He is wanted in Orleans Parish for terroristic threats, according to the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office.
Gillum is accused of planning to travel to a festival in New Orleans to commit a mass shooting and then commit suicide by cop, officials said. The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival is set to start its first weekend on Thursday.
The Louisiana State Police confirmed Thursday that a suspect was arrested as part of an ongoing investigation with the FBI. After the arrest, there were no known threats to any Louisiana festivals, state police said.
“While a suspect has been taken into custody in Florida, the investigation remains ongoing, and no further details are being released at this time to avoid compromising the investigation. At this time, there are no known direct threats to any festivals in Louisiana, but we are constantly working with Local, State, and Federal partners through our Louisiana State Analytical and Fusion Exchange Center to ensure safety,” the Louisiana State Police said in a statement.
Mayor Helena Moreno said Thursday that several agencies coordinated in the investigation into Gillum, including the FBI’s New Orelans office, the Louisiana State Police, the New Orleans Police Department and the New Orleans office of Coordination Emergency Management as well as law enforcement agencies in Florida and North Carolina and Governor Jeff Landry’s office.
Gillum was caught with a handgun and around 200 rounds of ammunition, according to a photo posted by the Sheriff’s Office. He was found with the assistance of the Florida county’s Flock license plate reading camera system.
He will be extradited to Louisiana, officials said.
An NOPD spokesperson referred a request for comment to the state police and FBI.
No other information was released.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.