Livestreamer “Chud the Builder,” identified as Dalton Eatherly, is facing multiple felonies after a midday shootout outside the Montgomery County Courthouse in Clarksville, Tennessee, where both he and another man were wounded; District Attorney General Robert J. Nash and the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office say Eatherly fired the first shots and is now jailed awaiting arraignment.
The confrontation unfolded about 1:20 p.m. Wednesday outside the Clarksville courthouse, according to officials, and quickly escalated to gunfire that left two people with gunshot injuries. Sheriff and court personnel secured the scene, locked down the courthouse, and law enforcement took a person into custody while medics rushed both victims to local hospitals. Authorities later identified the armed individual as Dalton Eatherly, the controversial streamer known online as “Chud the Builder.”
Investigators say Eatherly was the person who opened fire and that he appears to have shot himself in the arm during the exchange. The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office confirmed both people were transported to hospitals and were stable, and District Attorney General Robert J. Nash said one person was taken into custody at the scene. Eatherly now faces charges that include attempted murder and related weapons offenses tied to the shooting.
On top of attempted murder, the Sheriff’s Office listed counts against Eatherly for employing a firearm during a dangerous felony, Aggravated Assault, and Reckless Endangerment with a Deadly Weapon. He is being held in the Montgomery County Jail pending an arraignment, at which point bond will be determined. Local officials emphasized there is no ongoing threat to the public while the investigation continues.
Sheriff Fuson commented on the fallout from the incident, saying, “It’s unfortunate that incidents like this are happening in our community. This kind of violence won’t be tolerated.” Those words were part of the sheriff’s office announcement after officers closed off the courthouse and canvassed the area, and they underline the department’s stance as the case moves into the legal system. Law enforcement has not released additional details about the identity of the second person wounded beyond confirming both victims were transported for treatment.
Eatherly had been scheduled to appear in the Montgomery County Courthouse earlier that morning as the defendant in a contract and debt case, according to online dockets, and the presence outside the courthouse was tied to that pending matter. Court records show he was due in court at 9 a.m., and his appearance that day had been a routine civil matter unrelated to the shooting until the confrontation. Authorities are investigating what sparked the exchange of gunfire and how the two men became involved.
Online history and recent incidents in Nashville add context to Eatherly’s public profile and the string of run-ins with law enforcement. He is known for posting inflammatory “rage-bait” livestreams, using offensive racial language, and provoking confrontations with viewers and passersby. A probable cause affidavit from a recent restaurant incident in Nashville said “he became disruptive and started making racial statements, yelling, screaming,” and that sequence of behavior led to an arrest over disorderly conduct and an alleged theft of services.
The Nashville episode began at Bob’s Steak & Chop House where staff asked that he not livestream inside the restaurant, and the affidavit says he ignored that request before refusing to pay his bill. The affidavit records his reaction in his own words: “I’m not paying if you are kicking me out,” and it says he walked out without settling a $371.55 tab. Officers later located him on the street, and a separate affidavit states he resisted when deputies tried to place him in handcuffs, earning an additional resisting arrest charge.
Those Nashville charges remain pending, with no attorney listed for Eatherly in the public filings and a court return date scheduled for July 17. Back in Clarksville, the shooting is now the focal point for both criminal and investigative teams who are combing through evidence, witness statements, and video to reconstruct the confrontation. For now, officials maintain the investigation is active and that the courthouse lockdown was a temporary measure to ensure public safety while they secured the area.
