NC veteran officer accused in mass shooting plot had interest in harming Black people, CNN reports

A veteran law enforcement officer from Chapel Hill who is accused of planning a mass shooting in New Orleans expressed interest in harming Black people, according to CNN. 

2026-04-24

Christopher Gillum was arrested at a Florida hotel after local law enforcement received information that he was in their jurisdiction. He was wanted in Louisiana for alleged plans to travel to the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival to conduct a mass shooting and then commit suicide by cop. 

North Carolina certification records showed that Gillum worked at the Chapel Hill Police Department, Orange County Sheriff's Office and Carolina Beach Police Department — all over the course of over 20 years. 

Burlington Police said they started working with the Alamance County sheriff’s office on Wednesday on what they originally believed was a missing persons case. The Associated Press reported that his family reported Gillum missing Tuesday. 

Then, they realized Gillum was a danger to himself and others and used technology to track his journey. The Flock camera system helped track Gillum on the way to Florida.

A law enforcement officer told CNN that Gillum's family indicated that he possessed a Glock handgun and had expressed interest in harming Black people. 

But Gillum fled the state before police could draft paperwork to involuntarily commit him for psychiatric treatment, Alamance County Lieutenant Clint Lyons told the AP.

Despite his comments about Black people, Lyons said there were no criminal grounds to detain Gillum “because there was no victim.”