Former NC Officer Arrested in Florida for Jazz Fest Shooting Plot

A former North Carolina police officer was arrested in Florida on Wednesday evening after authorities uncovered plans for a mass shooting at a New Orleans music festival, according to law enforcement officials.

Christopher Gillum, 44, of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, was taken into custody without incident at a hotel in Destin by deputies from the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office. He faces charges of terroristic threats in Orleans Parish, Louisiana, where investigators say he intended to carry out the attack before ending his life in a confrontation with police, often referred to as "suicide by cop." Deputies recovered a handgun and approximately 200 rounds of ammunition from Gillum's hotel room on Scenic Highway 98.

The arrest came hours before the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, commonly known as Jazz Fest, was set to open on Thursday and continue through May 3 at the Fair Grounds Race Course. The annual event, which celebrates Louisiana's music, food and culture, drew about 460,000 attendees last year. Authorities did not confirm the specific festival as Gillum's target but noted he was en route to Orleans Parish when apprehended. One report indicated that Gillum had...