After allegedly threatening to assassinate a country music artist on tour in the same fashion as conservative political influencer and media personality Charlie Kirk, a Sheridan man found himself behind bars this week.
Baptiste W. Brafford, born in 1980, was arrested Wednesday on claims he sent Facebook threats to Tanner Usrey, an up-and-coming Texas country artist scheduled to perform in Rapid City, South Dakota, on Friday.
“Don’t come to Rapid City, you could end up Charlie Kirk spreading that same hate,” Brafford sent in a Facebook message to Usrey on Jan. 12, according to an affidavit of probable cause filed in Sheridan County Circuit Court on Thursday.
“It be an arrow though,” the threat continued.
Kirk, the founder of Turning Point USA, was shot and killed on Sept. 10, 2025, while hosting a college debate and open forum at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah.
His death sparked candlelight vigils, political demonstrations and online fights between supporters mourning his death and Kirk’s critics.
Usrey, who is signed with Atlantic Records, was part of the lineup to play at the Central States Fairgrounds on Friday, then has two more dates in Texas left on his tour, according to his official website.
It’s unclear from the affidavit how Brafford knows Usrey, but the document references a photograph of them together at some point.
In another Facebook message, Brafford reportedly doubled down on his threat to kill Usrey, saying:
“Hey a 30-06 would blow your head off. That’s what killed Charlie Queen yet didn’t blow his head off. You think it was a 06 but any good ole boy knows that was as .223 at best.”
It is not known why he referred to Kirk as Queen in the message.
‘People Are Crazy'
Usrey reported the threats to Rapid City authorities, who contacted the Sheridan Police Department, Sgt. Jacob Board wrote in the affidavit of probable cause.
“In the report (from Rapid City) it stated that these messages worried Usrey to the point he felt the need to report them,” according to the affidavit. “When asked if Usrey was concerned Brafford would take action, Usrey expressed that he did not know and that people are crazy.”
He said as much on his X (formerly Twitter) feed the day the threat was sent: “Getting death threats for being on a festival lineup is f***ing CRAZY.”
Board contacted Brafford at his home in Sheridan on Wednesday and arrested him, the affidavit says.
He faces a charge of threatening to inflict death by phone calls or other electronic or written communication, according to court records.
That’s a misdemeanor charge but can be elevated to a felony if the threat is determined to be terroristic in nature.
Brafford was arraigned Thursday and released on $5,000 bond.
Greg Johnson can be reached at greg@cowboystatedaily.com.
