Man Accused of Plotting New Orleans Festival Mass Shooting Quietly Released

Man Accused of Plotting New Orleans Festival Mass Shooting Quietly Released

A man accused of plotting a mass shooting targeting Black people at a major New Orleans festival was quietly released from custody after a Louisiana grand jury declined to indict him.

Christopher Gillum, 45, of North Carolina, was arrested in Florida in April after authorities received information that he was allegedly traveling toward Louisiana with plans to carry out a mass shooting and then die during a confrontation with police.

Authorities said Gillum had recently made threats about harming Black people.

When deputies located Gillum at a hotel in Destin, Florida, authorities said he was in possession of a handgun and approximately 200 rounds of ammunition.

The investigation involved multiple law enforcement agencies and the FBI.

Authorities never publicly identified the festival they believed Gillum was targeting, although his arrest occurred immediately before the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival.

Gillum was eventually extradited to Louisiana and booked on a state charge of terrorizing. He was initially held without bond.

Then the case took a dramatic turn.

In June, a Louisiana grand jury declined to indict Gillum after determining there was insufficient evidence to move forward with the charge.

Gillum was subsequently released from custody.

His release received considerably less public attention than his original arrest.

According to the Louisiana Attorney General’s Office, the case presented significant jurisdictional issues. The alleged threat was made to a family member while Gillum was in North Carolina, and Gillum never actually entered Louisiana on his own. He was brought into the state following his arrest and extradition.

Authorities also learned Gillum had plans to travel to the Florida Keys during the same period investigators initially believed he could have been traveling toward Louisiana.

Gillum’s family reportedly took him to a treatment facility outside Louisiana following his release.

North Carolina authorities told the Associated Press they were unaware that Gillum had been released and said there were currently no plans to pursue charges against him.

The allegations that originally led to Gillum’s arrest were extremely serious and prompted a multistate law enforcement response.

But an allegation is not a conviction.

Despite being accused of planning an attack that could have resulted in mass casualties, Gillum currently faces no criminal charges related to the alleged plot after the grand jury declined to indict him.

A case that began with alarming allegations of a potential mass shooting ended months later with Gillum quietly walking out of custody.