A 28-year-old live streamer, Dalton Eatherly, who goes by the online alias 'Chud the Builder' and is notorious for sharing racist content, appeared in court on Friday, May 15, 2026, facing an attempted murder charge along with several other felony counts.
The charges stem from a shooting that took place on Wednesday outside the Montgomery County Courthouse in Clarksville, Tennessee. During the court appearance, General Session Court Judge Reid Poland III set Eatherly's bond at $1.25 million, highlighting the severity of the felonies and the large number of bystanders present in the courthouse courtyard at the time of the incident.
In addition to attempted criminal homicide, Eatherly is charged with employing a firearm during a dangerous felony, aggravated assault, and reckless endangerment with a deadly weapon. If convicted of the attempted criminal homicide charge, he could face a prison sentence ranging from 15 to 60 years in a state penitentiary.
The shooting followed a confrontation between Eatherly and an unidentified man. Eatherly, whose online history is marked by the use of racial slurs and videos targeting Black individuals, livestreamed the aftermath of the encounter while speaking with first responders. He claimed he acted in self-defense after the man allegedly 'started whaling' on him for using racial epithets. Both men sustained gunshot wounds and were hospitalized in stable condition. While Eatherly remains in custody, the other individual has been released from the hospital.
This incident occurred just days after Eatherly was arrested on May 9 in Nashville. In that case, he was kicked out of a restaurant for being disruptive and making racial statements, and he eventually refused to pay a $371.55 bill. He was charged with theft of services, disorderly conduct, and resisting arrest, and had been released on a $5,000 bond prior to the shooting.
Eatherly was reportedly at the courthouse on Wednesday for a civil hearing regarding a $3,300 debt owed to a credit management company. A preliminary hearing for the criminal charges is scheduled for May 26.
