ChudTheBuilder Shot a Man Outside a Courthouse — His Social Media Posts Tell a Very Different Story

 Dalton Eatherly, the controversial "rage-bait" livestreamer known as "Chud the Builder," now faces attempted murder charges after a shooting outside a Tennessee courthouse — but his own online content contradicts the self-defense narrative he's pushing.

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By [Your Name] | May 14, 2026

Who Is "Chud the Builder"? The Livestreamer at the Center of a Shocking Courthouse Shooting

Dalton Eatherly, known online as "Chud the Builder," is a rage-baiting livestreamer who was involved in a shooting incident outside a courthouse in Tennessee on Wednesday. But for those who have followed his online activity, the incident was far from surprising. ABC News

Eatherly is a controversial online personality known for posting "rage-bait" content, repeatedly using racial slurs, and challenging people to fight him. Now, his pattern of deliberate provocation has apparently escalated into something much more serious — an attempted murder charge. NBC News

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What Happened Outside the Montgomery County Courthouse?

The shooting happened during a confrontation between Dalton Eatherly and another man, who authorities have not identified, outside the Montgomery County Courthouse in Clarksville. Both men were shot and taken to nearby hospitals, where they were in stable condition as of early Wednesday evening. CNN

Deputies with the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office and officers with the Clarksville Police Department responded around 1:20 p.m. on May 13 to reports of gunfire outside the courthouse. Investigators said the shooting may have stemmed from a physical altercation between two adult men that escalated into an exchange of gunfire. Fox 17

Eatherly was scheduled to appear at the courthouse at 9 a.m. Wednesday as the defendant in a contract/debt case, according to online dockets. NBC News

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The Charges: Attempted Murder and More

In addition to attempted murder, Eatherly, 28, was charged with employing a firearm during a dangerous felony, aggravated assault, and reckless endangerment with a deadly weapon. He has been booked into the Montgomery County jail and will be held until his arraignment. CNN

District Attorney Robert J. Nash confirmed that Eatherly and an unidentified man were involved in a confrontation that resulted in gunfire, but Nash declined to say what prompted the confrontation. WDBJ

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Chud the Builder's Version vs. Reality: What His Social Media Reveals

In a video posted online after the incident, Eatherly claimed he acted in self-defense. In a video posted on the website Pump.fun on Wednesday, Eatherly said he shot a man in self-defense after the person started hitting him. WDBJ

But his own social media history tells a starkly different story — one of a man who routinely seeks out and provokes confrontations.

Eatherly could be seen in a video he posted to X last week spraying what appears to be a chemical agent at a Black man and repeatedly calling him a racial slur after the man knocked the hat off his head. CNN

The streamer has several videos online in which he refers to Black people with derogatory slurs. CNN

A local witness put it plainly. Claire Martin, who works in an attorney's office across the street from the courthouse, said Eatherly is "well known in Clarksville for antagonizing people to see what he can get them to do," adding that he "yells racial slurs" at people while filming them. "He's not a contributing member of society," she said. WDBJ

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A Week of Escalating Incidents: The Restaurant Arrest Just Days Before

The courthouse shooting didn't happen in a vacuum. Just days earlier, Eatherly was arrested in Nashville after he allegedly walked out on a restaurant bill and resisted arrest. He went to Bob's Steak & Chop House, where he was asked not to livestream. When he was caught streaming and asked to stop, "he became disruptive and started making racial statements, yelling, screaming," a probable cause affidavit said. He also said, "I'm not paying if you are kicking me out," and refused to pay his $371.55 bill. He was charged with disorderly conduct and theft of services. NBC News

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Even Far-Right Figures Have Condemned Him

The backlash against Eatherly has crossed ideological lines. Eatherly's conduct has been met with criticism, including from right-wing personalities like Nick Fuentes, a well-known White nationalist and Holocaust denier, who said on his podcast that he doesn't like "that approach of antagonizing people in public… I think it's wrong, it's unethical." CNN

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Community Reaction and What Comes Next

Montgomery County Sheriff John Fuson said: "It's unfortunate that incidents like this are happening in our community. This kind of violence won't be tolerated, and our office will work to make sure those responsible are held accountable to the fullest extent of the law." CNN

Eatherly remains in custody pending arraignment. As investigators continue to piece together exactly how the confrontation unfolded, his extensive library of online content will likely play a central role in any future legal proceedings — painting a picture very different from the self-defense story he's trying to tell.

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Tags: ChudTheBuilder, Dalton Eatherly, Tennessee courthouse shooting, attempted murder, rage-bait livestreamer, Clarksville Tennessee, social media controversy, US news 2026

Meta Description: Controversial livestreamer "Chud the Builder" (Dalton Eatherly) has been charged with attempted murder after a shooting outside a Tennessee courthouse. His own social media videos contradict his self-defense claims. Here's the full story.