I'm on the phone. Hey, Chris. This is Sergeant Walton with the Sheriff's Office. How are you, man? Not bad. Yeah, I guess you uh you got an issue with your family calling in welfare checks, don't you? All right. Bye. He's on his way. Hey, Chris. >> Hey. Chris, how are you? >> What's going >> On April 22nd, 2026, in Destin, Florida, deputies locate a former police officer at a hotel after investigators receive disturbing information about his plans and his movements [music] toward Louisiana. What officers find inside that hotel room turns a troubling investigation [music] into something far more serious. >> Hey, Chris. This is Sergeant Walton with the Sheriff's Office. How are you, man? >> [snorts] >> Not bad. Yeah, I guess you uh you got an issue with your family calling in welfare checks, don't you? Okay. Okay. Well, they called in another one again. I used I got Are you able to come talk to me again? No, no, no. We had a shift change. I guess you talked to our day shift earlier. Yeah, man. Yeah, if you still want to come on down to the lobby, I appreciate it. All right. Sounds good. Thank you. All right. Bye. He's on his way. >> Officers were already looking for Gillam after authorities received information that he could be heading toward Louisiana with plans to carry out a mass shooting. By the time deputies located him at a hotel in Destin, this was no longer a routine welfare check. The priority was getting him under control before anyone could get hurt. What officers found during that encounter would make the warning even more serious. >> Hey guys. I'm How are you? >> You have a warrant. Yep. >> For what? >> Louisiana for terrorism. >> For what? >> For threats. >> Yep. I'm not paying this now. >> 269 what the time? >> Sorry, but that's the way >> way it is, but you know, we've got a job to do, so. >> Do you have any weapons? >> Oh, no, sir. >> No, okay. I'm good. Do you have any weapons in the room? >> Uh yeah, yeah, there is a gun in there. >> Okay, where at? Is it >> It's in my my military bag, my green bag. >> Yep. >> Okay, green bag. >> Mind if we secure it for you? >> Oh, no, go right ahead. Yeah, you can take whatever you need. >> You're not Just walking down there? >> Yeah. >> I'm going to just stand right here real quick. Let me pat you down real quick. >> Sure, yep. Anything in your pockets? >> I got my phone and uh I see your phone there. All right, you good there? Can't [snorts] get away from him. >> Gilliam wasn't a random person suddenly appearing on law enforcement's radar. He had spent more than a decade working in law enforcement, including with the Chapel Hill Police Department and other agencies in North Carolina. But his recent history looked very different, including a history of self-harm concerns and disturbing statements that had already caused his family to report [music] him missing. >> Uh so, I went through a terrible divorce probably about 3 years ago. >> Okay. >> And uh I've been out since, so. >> So, about 3 years ago, is what you said? >> Yeah, mhm. >> So, you good with me just borrowing this out and putting it back? >> Oh, absolutely, yeah. >> Is it on the >> Uh it should be right there in that little section. >> This one? >> No, the the one you were just like where near the cash. >> Okay. Yep. Yep, there it is. Yep. >> I don't know what I did to my ankle, but it it hurts. >> I'll get you. >> You can tell it's a little little bit bigger. >> Swollen. >> So, you said there was a warrant. What is >> I think it reads the threats. >> He's out at the movies, you know. >> Okay. >> The warrant. >> I don't want to do these stairs right over here, boss. >> Why don't we go to the elevator? >> Yeah, it's Yeah, yeah, yeah, it's a better idea. I appreciate it. Go right over here, boss. >> What else is the county, you know? >> Yeah. We got from beaches to the state line. >> I was about to say, you guys have a a heck of a jurisdiction. >> Yeah, it's it's huge. >> Hey, how big is the county? Is it >> All right, you want to stand You're going to stand You're going to stand right here. I was just going to get everything out of your pockets before we do anything. Cool. Thanks, boss. >> Investigators say Gillam had expressed interest in harming black people and planned to travel to a festival in New Orleans where authorities believed he intended to carry out a mass shooting before provoking police into killing him. A handgun and roughly 200 rounds of ammunition were recovered from his hotel room turning what could have been dismissed as disturbing talk into something law enforcement had to take seriously. >> All right, we're good to take a seat. >> I'm a 100% happy and >> Let me get your belt set up. Damn, damn. Go ahead. Let's try to get you. >> I'll try to do that. >> Yep. >> You good? >> Yeah. I think so. >> There you go. >> There you Where is this belt? Hold on a second. >> Go ahead and sit that thing back real quick. >> I'm trying here. My arm is >> I know. You're you're good. >> Yeah, it's >> I'm back. I'm coming back with this. >> I know. I know you hear this all the time, but can you can you check my cuffs one more time cuz I I just heard something crack in it. >> Go ahead and lean up. >> It hurts. Appreciate it. >> You want to Do you want to rotate your hands around? >> I don't. Yeah, maybe maybe just put my palms together or something. >> Yeah, we can do palm together. Go ahead and rotate that. I'm going to try not to make it too tight on you. >> The other one's like that right now. >> That's double locked. >> Yeah, I think so. That left one's pretty uh pretty tight. >> Go ahead and rotate. >> There we go. Cool. Thank you. >> And that one's double locked. >> Yep. I'm good. Thank you. >> You're good. Yeah, no problem. Hey. I need a bag, Dan. >> I need a bag? >> You need a bag. >> Yeah, you got my stuff? >> That's not matter to me. Get away. Um Go ahead and when you get back in the car, Dan, just just code it Romeo Papa Tango. And then just create an admin call cuz then I can go into your case and drop this for you. >> Christopher Gillam, 45, was arrested on a Louisiana charge of terroristic threats. He was held in the Okaloosa County Jail pending extradition to Louisiana while investigators continued examining the alleged plans and the evidence recovered from his hotel room. So, what do you think did the coordination between agencies and the early warning system prevent [music] something much worse from happening? For more real body cam breakdowns, subscribe to Code 3 Cam and [music] stay tuned for the next case.