Man arrested while en route to carry out mass shooting at Louisiana festival

A North Carolina man was arrested in Florida after authorities said he was on his way to Louisiana to carry out a mass shooting at a large festival, according to officials. He was taken into custody without incident at a hotel in Destin.

The arrest happened Wednesday night after the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office in Florida said federal authorities alerted deputies that the man was in the county while reportedly traveling to Louisiana.

Deputies with the agency’s Bravo East unit located him at the hotel in Destin and arrested him as a fugitive from justice.

The sheriff’s office did not identify the suspect or say what charges he faces in Louisiana. It said he will be extradited there to face charges brought by state police.

Photos released by the sheriff’s office showed the male suspect being detained and a case containing a handgun, multiple magazines and cartridges.

Officials did not identify the festival, but the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival is set to begin Thursday and is expected to draw large crowds.

No additional details were immediately released about the alleged threat or what led authorities to begin tracking the suspect. The sheriff’s office said the arrest was made without incident.