A former law enforcement officer accused of planning a mass shooting targeting black people at a New Orleans festival was released from custody over the summer after a grand jury declined to indict him on a state terrorism charge. Christopher Gillum, 45, was arrested in Florida in April 2026 with hundreds of rounds of ammunition and a handgun, according to the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office. Authorities stated Gillum was en route to Louisiana to commit a mass shooting.
Gillum, who is from Chapel Hill, North Carolina, had reportedly expressed recent threats to harm black people, according to authorities. His family had reported him missing and indicated he had a history of self-harm.
Although Gillum's arrest occurred on the eve of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, authorities did not name the specific event he was allegedly targeting. The investigation involved the FBI and law enforcement agencies in Louisiana, North Carolina, and Florida.
A Louisiana grand jury declined to indict Gillum on a state charge of "terrorizing" in June, a charge that could have carried up to a 15-year sentence. Court records indicate there was not enough evidence to proceed with the charge. Gillum had been held without bond but was released shortly after the grand jury's decision.
Dylan Utley, Gillum's attorney, stated that his client is not facing charges in any other jurisdictions and declined further comment. The Louisiana Attorney General's office noted that jurisdictional issues complicated the case. Lester Duhe, a spokesperson for the office, explained that the threat relayed to a family member occurred in North Carolina, and Gillum did not enter Louisiana until after his arrest. Duhe added that Gillum was also planning to travel to the Florida Keys during the same period he would have been suspected of traveling to Louisiana.
Katherine Schweit, a former Chicago prosecutor and FBI executive, commented that thwarted acts of mass violence do not always result in indictments, noting the difficulty in convincing a grand jury that an event might have occurred.
Authorities in North Carolina, where court records list Gillum as residing, stated they were unaware of his release. The Alamance County Sheriff’s Office in North Carolina indicated it would want to know if he returned to their county. The North Carolina Attorney General's office confirmed there are no plans to pursue charges against Gillum in that state. The offices of the Florida Attorney General and the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Louisiana did not respond to requests for comment. The FBI's New Orleans office stated that the decision to charge Gillum rested with prosecutors.