{"id":2386475,"date":"2026-04-23T21:03:03","date_gmt":"2026-04-23T21:03:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=2386475"},"modified":"2026-04-23T21:03:03","modified_gmt":"2026-04-23T21:03:03","slug":"mass-shooting-at-new-orleans-music-festival-thwarted-by-police","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/mass-shooting-at-new-orleans-music-festival-thwarted-by-police\/","title":{"rendered":"Mass shooting at New Orleans music festival thwarted by police"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div id=\"\">\n<div id=\"videoWrap\" class=\"spacer-large videoWrap\" style=\"position:relative\"><media-video video-id=\"74605652007\" title=\"Calling 911: What you need to know\" poster=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/authoring\/authoring-images\/2024\/07\/23\/NPPP\/74519553007-img-police-lights-and-si-3-1-ov-13-rcdo-3-l-2034553057.JPG?crop=2120,1193,x0,y110\" util-module-path=\"elements\/media\" placement=\"snow-video-story-priority\"><\/p>\n<div id=\"uwVideoPlaceholder\" slot=\"placeholder\" style=\"z-index:19;width:100%;padding-bottom:56.25%;position:relative\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"vidplaybtn\" style=\"display:-moz-box;display:-ms-flexbox;display:-webkit-flex;display:flex;background-color:rgba(0,0,0,.4);border:2px solid #fff;border-radius:80px;cursor:pointer;height:80px;width:80px;position:absolute;top:50%;left:50%;transform:translate(-50%,-50%);z-index:10\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"vidplayicon\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/appservices\/universal-web\/universal\/icons\/icon-play-alt-white.svg\" alt=\"play\" style=\"height:40px;margin:auto 18px auto 27px;width:40px\"\/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div slot=\"videoDetails\" id=\"videoDetails\" class=\"videoDetails\" style=\"padding-top:8px;padding-bottom:8px\">\n<div id=\"videoDetailsContainer\" class=\"videoDetailsContainer\" hidden=\"\">\n<p>Calling 911: What you need to know<\/p>\n<p>Calling 911 is for emergencies only, but what counts as an emergency?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/media-video><\/div>\n<p>A former police officer who officials said planned a deadly mass shooting at a music festival in New Orleans was in custody April 23 after being captured in northwest Florida.<\/p>\n<partner-banner util-module-path=\"elements\/partner\" class=\"spacer-large\" min-height=\"600\" fluid=\"\" outstream=\"\" momentum=\"\"\/>\n<p>Christopher Gillum of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, was <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/OkaloosaSheriff\/posts\/pfbid086iKknoLsLNGRQ29nbtmjcwDmTpfs7KL8RGjL178tL6ZFvojwvMPAw2QTYoUzStgl\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/OkaloosaSheriff\/posts\/pfbid086iKknoLsLNGRQ29nbtmjcwDmTpfs7KL8RGjL178tL6ZFvojwvMPAw2QTYoUzStgl\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">arrested without incident<\/a> by Okaloosa County Sheriff&#8217;s Office deputies one day earlier after they were tipped off by federal law enforcement that he was in Destin, a city in the state&#8217;s panhandle.<\/p>\n<p>At the time of his arrest, Gillum was wanted in Orleans Parish by the Louisiana Department of Public Safety on terroristic threats charges.<\/p>\n<p>Gillum, 45, is a former police officer with the Chapel Hill Police Department in North Carolina, where he worked from 2004 to 2019, Alex Carrasquillo, communications manager with the town of Chapel Hill, confirmed to USA TODAY.<\/p>\n<partner-banner util-module-path=\"elements\/partner\" fluid=\"\" bottom=\"\" lazy=\"\" class=\"spacer-large\" min-height=\"390\" outstream=\"\"\/>\n<p>He returned as a non-sworn employee in 2024 before leaving for another job by the end of that year.<\/p>\n<p><media-image image-set=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/authoring\/authoring-images\/2026\/04\/23\/USAT\/89749309007-fl-arrest.png bestCrop, https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/authoring\/authoring-images\/2026\/04\/23\/USAT\/89749309007-fl-arrest.png?crop=915,687,x0,y61 4:3, https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/authoring\/authoring-images\/2026\/04\/23\/USAT\/89749309007-fl-arrest.png?crop=915,1221,x0,y7 3:4, https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/authoring\/authoring-images\/2026\/04\/23\/USAT\/89749309007-fl-arrest.png?crop=915,515,x0,y123 16:9\" image-alt=\"\" credit=\"Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office\" caption=\"Christopher Gillum of Chapel Hill, N.C., was arrested by Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office deputies in Destin, Florida after law enforcement said they received information from federal authorities he planned to conduct a mass shooting at a New Orleans festival.\" orientation=\"vertical\" class=\"spacer-large\" util-module-path=\"elements\/media\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Gillum was in Florida, traveling to a festival in New Orleans, where he allegedly planned &#8220;to conduct a mass shooting&#8221; <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/OkaloosaSheriff\/posts\/pfbid0jJWGfsKmfT3WaGT1oReffS4EWxNEADZRotBXMWjvQu3BacM9GpWSXdheAuSiMaRLl\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/OkaloosaSheriff\/posts\/pfbid0jJWGfsKmfT3WaGT1oReffS4EWxNEADZRotBXMWjvQu3BacM9GpWSXdheAuSiMaRLl\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">the sheriff&#8217;s office<\/a> wrote in a news release.<\/p>\n<partner-inline util-module-path=\"elements\/partner\" class=\"spacer-large\" placement=\"native-article_link\" sizes=\"[[300, 250], [3, 3]]\" min-height=\"250\" fluid=\"\" outstream=\"\"\/>\n<p>A motive in the alleged planned shooting was not immediately known.<\/p>\n<p>Police have not said what festival the suspect allegedly targeted.<\/p>\n<p>The <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nojazzfest.com\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.nojazzfest.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">New Orleans Jazz &amp; Heritage Festival<\/a> (Jazz Fest) is slated to start on April 24. The event, which organizers said draws about 400,000 attendees annually, is set to run through early May, according to its website.<\/p>\n<p><cta-atoms-container-inline util-module-path=\"elements\/cta\" class=\"spacer-large\"\/><\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Jazz Fest is grateful to all law enforcement partners for their dedication and exceptional service in protecting our community,&#8221; Matthew Goldman, Jazz Fest press director, told USA TODAY. &#8220;As always, we coordinate closely with the FBI, Louisiana State Police, NOPD (New Orleans Police Department), NOCEM (New Orleans Office of Coordination and Emergency Management), and other agencies, and we will continue to do so as we look forward to another safe and joyful Jazz Fest.&#8221;<\/p>\n<partner-inline util-module-path=\"elements\/partner\" placement=\"native-article_link\" sizes=\"[[300, 250], [3, 3]]\" min-height=\"250\" fluid=\"\" outstream=\"\"\/>\n<p class=\"related-link\"><span class=\"exclude-from-newsgate\"><strong style=\"margin-right:3px\">A jury listened to a child&#8217;s murder. <\/strong><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.usatoday.com\/story\/news\/nation\/2026\/04\/23\/tanner-horner-death-penalty-athena-strand-murder\/89659988007\/\" rel=\"noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Will they give the death penalty?<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"presto-h2 wp-block-heading\">Where was the suspect arrested?<\/h2>\n<p>About 6:40 p.m. ET on April 22, deputies located Gillum at a Hilton hotel in Destin and took him into custody, the sheriff&#8217;s office said.<\/p>\n<partner-banner util-module-path=\"elements\/partner\" fluid=\"\" bottom=\"\" lazy=\"\" class=\"spacer-large\" min-height=\"600\" outstream=\"\" momentum=\"\"\/>\n<p>During the arrest, the sheriff&#8217;s office said, deputies recovered 200 rounds of ammunition and a handgun from Gillum\u2019s hotel room.<\/p>\n<p><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/okaloosacountyjail.myokaloosa.com\/inmatelocator\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/okaloosacountyjail.myokaloosa.com\/inmatelocator\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Online records<\/a> showed Gillum remained jailed in Florida on April 23 where he was being held without bond. It was not immediately known whether Gillum had obtained an attorney to represent him on the charges.<\/p>\n<p>The sheriff&#8217;s office said Gillum will be extradited to Louisiana to face charges filed by state police there.<\/p>\n<p>Louisiana State Police Sgt. Ross Brennan said the case remained under investigation by troopers and the FBI.<\/p>\n<partner-banner util-module-path=\"elements\/partner\" fluid=\"\" bottom=\"\" lazy=\"\" class=\"spacer-large\" min-height=\"390\" outstream=\"\"\/>\n<p>&#8220;No further details are being released at this time to avoid compromising the investigation,&#8221; Ross told USA TODAY. &#8220;At this time, there are no known direct threats to any festivals in Louisiana.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><em>This story has been updated to add new information.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on X @nataliealund.<\/em><\/p>\n<lit-timestamp class=\"column ten-column no-gutter spacer-small\" slot=\"timestamp\" publishdate=\"2026-04-23 15:10:20.250577566 +0000 UTC\" updatedate=\"2026-04-23 17:17:26.432296172 +0000 UTC\"\/><\/div>\n<p><em> \u2018 The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n<p><em> \u2018 Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.usatoday.com \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Calling 911: What you need to know Calling 911 is for emergencies only, but what counts as an emergency? A former police officer who officials said planned a deadly mass shooting at a music festival in New Orleans was in custody April 23 after being captured in northwest Florida. Christopher Gillum of Chapel Hill, North [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2386476,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[25179],"tags":[22164,304792,39915,28769,354678,22220,22005,239661,370158,305246,305253,304719,435594,305429,465231,465233,435592,6297,322004,21741,22783,22373,465230,305247,22420,371172,21739,298114,22764,22634,465232,239456,239462,21800,74947,26575,27141,21738,446157,239343,239420,23181,465229,368323,24495,23152,305423,239344,34080,239422,370048,370159,361379],"class_list":["post-2386475","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-music","tag-abuse","tag-accident","tag-affiliate","tag-and","tag-arrests","tag-arts","tag-concerts","tag-concerts-u0026-music-festivals","tag-conflict","tag-crime","tag-crime-u0026-justice","tag-death","tag-death-and-dying","tag-death-u0026-tragedy","tag-disaster","tag-disaster-accident-and-tragedy","tag-dying","tag-eamotion","tag-enforcement","tag-entertainment","tag-festivals","tag-florida","tag-fugitives","tag-justice","tag-law","tag-law-enforcement","tag-local","tag-local-affiliate-arts-u0026-entertainment","tag-local-news","tag-louisiana","tag-louisiana-state-police","tag-modular","tag-modular-story","tag-music","tag-negative","tag-new","tag-new-orleans","tag-news","tag-orleans","tag-overall","tag-overall-negative","tag-police","tag-sheriffs","tag-shootings","tag-state","tag-story","tag-tragedy","tag-u0026","tag-violence","tag-violence-u0026-abuse","tag-war","tag-war-u0026-conflict","tag-warrant"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Mass-shooting-at-New-Orleans-music-festival-thwarted-by-police.JPG","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2386475","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2386475"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2386475\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2386477,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2386475\/revisions\/2386477"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2386476"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2386475"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2386475"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2386475"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}