Hundreds of Rounds, an Alleged Mass Shooting Plan Targeting Black People and Christopher Gillum Still Walked Free After Grand Jury Refused to Indict

Christopher Gillum walked out of custody this summer after a Louisiana grand jury declined to indict the former North Carolina police officer accused of planning to kill Black people during a mass shooting at a New Orleans festival.

Held without bond after his April arrest at a hotel in Destin, Florida, the 45-year-old faced a Louisiana terrorizing charge carrying up to 15 years in prison. The Associated Press reported that a grand jury declined to indict him in June, clearing the way for Gillum to walk free.

Florida deputies recovered a handgun and hundreds of rounds of ammunition from Gillum's hotel room, according to the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office. Authorities alleged that he intended to travel to New Orleans, open fire at a festival and then die through "suicide by cop."

One day before his arrest, Gillum's family reported him missing in North Carolina and told authorities he had a gun, a history of self-harm and had recently threatened to hurt Black people. Their warning helped set off a search involving authorities across multiple states and the FBI.

Where Gillum allegedly made the threats created a problem for the Louisiana prosecution. Louisiana Attorney General spokesperson Lester Duhe told the AP that the threat relayed to a family member originated in North Carolina, while Gillum never reached Louisiana on his own.

Louisiana's terrorizing statute requires circumstances involving imminent violence or danger to human life. Former FBI active-shooter program executive Katherine Schweit told the AP that thwarted mass-violence plots can be difficult to prosecute because jurors are being asked to weigh what someone allegedly intended to do against what actually took place.

After the grand jury declined to indict Gillum, authorities released him from custody, a development the AP reported had not previously been disclosed. His attorney, Dylan Utley, said no other criminal charges were pending against him at the time.

Years before the alleged New Orleans plot, Gillum worked across several North Carolina law enforcement agencies. Chapel Hill officials previously said he served as a sworn officer there from 2004 until resigning in 2019, later returning briefly as a nonsworn employee.

No festival was publicly identified as Gillum's alleged target. His arrest came one day before the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival began, but officials have never said whether the crowds gathering for Jazz Fest were the ones he allegedly intended to reach.

Since his release, Gillum's family has taken him to an out-of-state treatment facility, according to the Louisiana Attorney General's Office. He is now outside criminal custody months after relatives first alerted authorities to alleged threats against Black people.