Bentonville, Arkansas – Reese Alexander Sullivan, a 20-year-old rapper, was arrested in Bentonville, Arkansas following serious allegations regarding the content of his music. On November 2, authorities charged Sullivan with first-degree terroristic threatening, sparked by the disturbing nature of his song lyrics.
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This arrest comes after the Federal Bureau of Investigation National Threat Operations Center received an anonymous tip on August 21 about concerning statements made by Sullivan in his music. The tip included links to music uploaded online, featuring lyrics that contained threats of violence. According to a heavily redacted probable cause affidavit, these threats spanned across nine video uploads and included alarming statements about committing violent acts. The lyrics reportedly mentioned shooting up a school, bombing churches tied to a specific race, killing children, raping minors, and bringing firearms to school. Other threats involved killing people of a specific ethnic group, bombing a public event, and targeting the senate.
On Halloween, the FBI executed a search warrant at Sullivan’s residence. Interestingly, no weapons or explosives were found at his home. During the investigation, Sullivan explained that he was 17 years old when he started writing and performing these songs, which he said were meant to portray a persona for the rap videos. He emphasized that the content was intended to be humorous and that he did not genuinely harbor hatred toward the groups mentioned in his songs. Sullivan also denied any intentions to commit the violent acts described in his lyrics or any past incidents of child sexual abuse.
Despite these claims, the seriousness of the threats in his lyrics led to a $50,000 bond being set for Sullivan, along with strict conditions. He was ordered not to use social media for writing or uploading audio, nor to use the internet in any capacity. Sullivan is scheduled to appear in court on December 11 for these charges.
This case highlights the growing concerns over the impact of violent and threatening language in music and social media, and the fine line between artistic expression and potential incitement of violence. It also underscores the vigilance of law enforcement agencies in monitoring and acting upon such threats to ensure public safety.
