Former Police Officer Arrested for Planning to Kill Black People at Music Festival Mass Shooting

A former North Carolina police officer was arrested after allegedly plotting a mass shooting targeting Black people at a major New Orleans music festival, according to The Associated Press.

Christopher Gillum, of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, was taken into custody Wednesday night on charges of making terroristic threats. Police recovered a handgun and roughly 200 rounds of ammunition from his hotel room.

Authorities have not publicly identified the event Gillum was allegedly targeting, though New Orleans Jazz Fest begins this weekend.

Gillum served as a sworn police officer in Chapel Hill from 2004 to 2019 and later worked as a detention officer for the Orange County Sheriff’s Office in North Carolina from 2023 to 2025.

Matthew Goldman, press and advertising director for New Orleans Jazz Fest, told WVUE in a statement that the festival was “grateful to all law enforcement partners for their dedication and exceptional service in protecting our community.”

“At this time, there are no known direct threats to any festivals in Louisiana,” Louisiana State Police Sgt. Ross Brennan said in a separate statement. “The investigation remains ongoing, and the credibility of any potential threats, past or present, is part of the investigative process.”