- Suspect planned to target Black people at New Orleans Jazz Fest
- Suspect had history of self-harm and making threats against Black Americans
- Efficient police coordination across states led to suspect’s arrest before attack
When you’re Black in America, there is always someone, somewhere plotting to take your life. You can bet on that.
Authorities say a potentially devastating racist mass shooting was narrowly prevented after a North Carolina man was arrested with weapons and ammunition before he could carry out the attack in New Orleans. According to the CountOn2, the suspect of this foiled hate crime has been identified as Christopher Gillum of Chapel Hill. He was taken into custody Wednesday night at a hotel in Destin, Florida after law enforcement officials said he had been under investigation for making “terroristic threats”. It is believed that Gillum was traveling to Louisiana with the intent to carry out a mass shooting specifcally targeting Black folks. When deputies located him, Gillum was arrested him without incident while in possession of a handgun along with roughly 200 rounds of ammunition.
While authorities did not officially name the event, details strongly suggest the intended target was the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, culturally known as Jazz Fest, which drew 460,000 attendees last year. The event was scheduled to begin Thursday, April 23 and carry on until May 3 which is the same time as the alleged plot. significantly raising concerns about the potential scale of harm had the plan been carried out.
Gillum’s family reported him missing on Tuesday and he had a history of self-harm, according to Lt. Clint Lyons of the Alamance County Sheriff’s Office in North Carolina. Gillum’s family told law enforcement he had a gun and “expressed recent threats to harm ‘Black people,’” according to a bulletin from police in Burlington, North Carolina.
Investigators say the arrest came after federal authorities alerted local law enforcement in Florida that Gillum was in the area and possibly en route to commit the attack. The Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office then worked quickly to locate and apprehend him. Officials noted that the coordination between agencies across multiple states was critical in stopping the suspected plot before it could unfold.
THIS is how efficient and effective police work should be. Not waiting on a tragedy only for it to be revealed that the alleged perpetrator had made threats and other disturbing statement that suggested an intent of violence.
Gillum has a background in law enforcement, having previously worked as a police officer in North Carolina. At this time, authorities have not fully detailed how they became aware of his alleged plans, but the case is now being investigated by both state and federal agencies, including the FBI. Despite the alarming nature of the allegations, officials emphasized that there are currently no known active threats to any festivals or public events in Louisiana. The suspect is being held in Florida and is expected to be extradited to Louisiana, where he will face charges related to the alleged threats.
We hope that justice continues to prevail and that this man is removed from the public as he clearly poses a threat to Black Americans and potentially the rest of civil society.