Former Chapel Hill police officer accused of planning a mass shooting in New Orleans
A former Chapel Hill police officer and Orange County sheriff’s deputy was arrested in the Florida panhandle, accused of plotting a mass shooting at a New Orleans festival.
Christopher Gillum, of Chapel Hill, was taken into custody at a Destin hotel in Okaloosa County, Florida, on Wednesday, the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office said in a Thursday statement.
Deputies recovered a handgun and roughly 200 rounds of ammunition from Gillum’s hotel room, according to the statement.
Gillum is wanted in Orleans Parish for making terroristic threats, the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office said. Louisiana authorities said they have information Gillum planned to travel to a New Orleans festival, conduct a mass shooting and commit “suicide by cop.”
Gillum was a sworn Chapel Hill police officer from 2004 until he resigned in 2019, Chapel Hill town spokesperson Alex Carrasquillo wrote in a Thursday statement. He returned as a non-sworn employee in 2024 until he left for another job by the end of that year.
Gillum became a deputy sheriff at the Orange County Sheriff’s Office on Jan. 13, 2025, records show. Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Alicia Stemper told The N&O Gillum resigned on Sept. 21, 2025.
Investigators verified Gillum was in the area by using Okaloosa County’s Flock camera system, the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office said.
“This disturbing case highlights how technology like Flock and strong partnerships between agencies can help prevent potential violence and bring wanted fugitives into custody safely before a tragedy could occur,” Okaloosa County Sheriff Eric Aden said.
The News & Observer has previously reported on Flock’s reach in North Carolina and concerns raised over the sharing of its data.
Gillum is being held in the Okaloosa County jail pending extradition to Louisiana, the Sheriff’s Office said.
This story was originally published April 23, 2026 at 10:26 AM.
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