Ex-Cop Accused of Threatening to 'Harm Black People' and Planning New Orleans Festival Rampage Won't Be Charged

Christopher Gillum, a former police officer from Chapel Hill, North Carolina, has been released from custody after a Louisiana grand jury declined to indict him on a state terrorism charge tied to an alleged plot to attack a festival in New Orleans, according to court records and multiple reports.

Gillum, 45, was arrested in Destin, Florida, on April 23. At the time, the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office said he intended to travel to Louisiana to carry out a mass shooting. Authorities also said he was wanted in New Orleans on a terroristic threats charge.

Investigators said they found a handgun and roughly 200 rounds of ammunition in his hotel room. The investigation involved the FBI and law enforcement agencies in Louisiana, North Carolina, and Florida.

According to the Associated Press, Gillum had allegedly “expressed recent threats to harm ‘Black people.’”

Court records show he was later charged in May with “terrorizing” and expressing “the intent of causing members of the general public to be in sustained fear of their safety.” But in June, a Louisiana grand jury declined to indict him, citing insufficient evidence.

The charge carried a possible sentence of up to 15 years, according to the AP and KTVU. After the grand jury's decision, Gillum was released. His attorney told the AP that he is not facing charges in any other jurisdiction.

The outcome highlights the legal challenge of bringing a terrorism-related case based on alleged threats and planning before any attack occurs.

PEOPLE has reached out to Gillum's attorney for comment.