Former North Carolina 'Officer of the Month' Arrested for Alleged Mass Shooting Plot Targeting Black People

The Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office, on the night of April 22, arrested an ex-cop from North Carolina. The suspect was once a distinguished deputy himself and was even awarded the title of ‘police officer of the month’. The allegations against him include planning a mass shooting in New Orleans that targeted Black people.

The Chapel Hill native was declared ‘wanted’ in Orleans Parish after he made certain terroristic threats. Officers from the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office were able to track him down inside a hotel in Florida, where he was arrested.

The suspect, Christopher Gillum, had reportedly been steadfast in his plans to commit a mass shooting during a large festival in Louisiana. At the time of his arrest, officers found him armed with nearly 200 rounds of ammunition as well as a handgun inside the hotel room he was staying in on Highway 98.

Investigators were not sure which festival Gillum was about to target. However, suspicion centered around the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, which was scheduled to begin on April 23. The festival has drawn thousands of attendees over the years.

Even before Gillum’s arrest, his family declared him missing on April 21. In their missing person report to police, they mentioned that he was in possession of a handgun. Gillum’s family also reported recent racist threats. He allegedly had openly expressed his willingness to harm Black people.

As per a bulletin from the Burlington Police Department (BPD), Gillum fled North Carolina before any paperwork could be completed that would have involuntarily committed him to psychiatric treatment. During his escape, officers from the the Okaloosa County detained him but did not file criminal charges. He was allowed to leave after Gillum told officers he was on his way to New Orleans.

On the morning of his arrest, deputies conducted a welfare check on him. They were reportedly unaware of the racist threats he had previously made. However, when the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office later learned of his alleged plot, he was taken into custody on a warrant from Louisiana authorities. He was arrested as a fugitive from justice and will be extradited to Louisiana, where he will face charges.

In the meantime, a town spokesperson, following the arrest, recalled Gillum's past career as a police officer. Officials said he served in multiple roles in law enforcement throughout his career.

Through multiple rounds of hiring and removal, Gillum remained a recognized officer within the Orange County Sheriff’s Office in North Carolina. However, officials did not clarify why he repeatedly resigned from different positions.

Members of the public and his former law enforcement colleagues remember Gillum as the ‘officer of the month’ in June 2025. He had been recognized for solving a gas station robbery case by identifying a suspect through a single latent fingerprint of the culprit on a coffee cup.