According to CNN.com, a former law enforcement officer, who expressed interest in harming Black people was arrested Wednesday after authorities allegedly found information suggesting he allegedly planned a mass shooting at a festival in New Orleans, according to authorities. Christopher Gillum, 45, from Chapel Hill, North Carolina, was taken into custody Wednesday evening at a hotel in Destin, Florida, where an alleged handgun and about 200 rounds of ammunition were allegedly recovered from Gillum’s room, the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office said.
“Authorities obtained information Gillum planned to travel to a festival in New Orleans to conduct a mass shooting and then commit suicide by cop,” the sheriff’s office said. His arrest came as Louisiana authorities allegedly sought him on charge of allegedly making terror threats and the community prepared for the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, known as Jazz Fest, which begins Thursday and runs through May 3. The festival, founded in 1970, draws roughly 400,000 attendees each year.
While authorities did not say which festival Gillum allegedly intended to target, Matthew Goldman, press and advertising director for Jazz Fest, said organizers were “grateful to all law enforcement partners for their dedication and exceptional service in protecting our community” in a statement to CNN affiliate WVUE sent after Gillum’s arrest.
Photo Credit: Raymond Flotat
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