ChudTheBuilder shoots a man in front of a Clarksville courthouse after an altercation and claims self defense.
ChudTheBuilder is undeniably controversial in his views and streams. Now his arc has reached a new peak (or low) as he shot not only another man during an altercation in front of the Montgomery County Courthouse in Clarksville, Tennessee, but also himself.
ChudTheBuilder Shoots A Man
ChusTheBuilder, real name Dalton Eatherly, is a 28-year-old influencer and streamer known for his IRL streams in public, using racial slurs and harrassing people.
According to Clarksville Now, on May 13, at around 1:15 pm, police was dispatched to the Montgomery County Courthouse in Clarksville, Tennessee for a shooting. The courthouse was locked down and the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office and Clarksville Police Department both responded to the call.
The shooting involved two people: an unknown man and Eatherly - both were injured. The streamer was reportedly scheduled to appear at the courthouse at 9 a.m. that day as the defendant in a contract/debt case.
District Attorney General Robert Nash said Eatherly was the person who opened fire. The streamer went live while first responders tended to his injury. Only audio was availible for the broadcast as he tells authorities that there was a group of people “laughing” and “pointing” at him. He says one man told him to “walk away" and claimed he did so before the man came back up to him.
Eatherly explains that the man told him he had PTSD and threatened to hit the streamer before actually striking him. ChudTheBuilder says he fired in self defense and that the man continued hitting him despite being already shot.
He hit me, started wailing on me, even after I had to defend myself by shooting him he’s still wailing on me.
First responders discuss the streamer's wound as only minor first, but then an “actual penetrating injury” later.
BREAKING: ChudTheBuilder Opens Fire On Attacker After Being Assaulted!
— Bestfriend (@BestfriendKick) May 13, 2026
ChudTheBuilder Tells Police What Happened That Escalated The Situation pic.twitter.com/hDiHnp0SmN
Eatherly also wonders about the extend of injury he gave himself, asking weather he shot himself or just "grazed" it.
Play stupid games win stupid prizes Chud the builder has now shot himself https://t.co/QqoCFX4VkF pic.twitter.com/LNyK5LG8yL
— Bald Knower (@BaldKnower) May 13, 2026
In the stream, first responders can also be heard saying the other man was shot in the stomach with Eatherly saying:
Man, I just pray that dude’s gonna be all right. I tried to walk away from him.
Both men were taken into hospital with Eatherly being taken into custody and transported to Vanderbilt of Clarksville Hospital via ambulance and the other man, who reportedly suffered gunshot wounds to his stomach and shoulder, was transported by LifeFlight to Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville. Both are in stable condition.
Montgomery County Sheriff's Office released a statement detailing that Eatherly has been charged with attempted murder, employing a firearm during a dangerous felony, aggravated assault, and reckless endangerment with a deadly weapon. He is being held at the Montgomery County jail without bond until his arraignment and bond hearing.
He Threatened Lethal Force Beforehand
Just a week before this incident, Eatherly made a post on X, promising to "defend [his] life with lethal force if he is threatened.
I will defend my life with lethal force. Do not approach me with intent to threaten bodily harm. https://t.co/p2t26gGQgI
— ChudTheBuilder (@ChudTheBuilder) May 7, 2026
On comment on the same posts points out how taking out a gun is the act taking a brawl to a deadly fight, not the first swing, warning the streamer of legal conequences.
If someone wants to fight you and you pull a gun, that's you bringing things from a scrap to deadly force. That isn't self defense. You are fixing yourself for an orange jumpsuit young man.
— Donald G. Little, J.D. (@Truthriseswlove) May 7, 2026
But Eatherly being the person he is, just provokes the commenter to try and "test it out" for himself to "see how it works" out.
Test that theory see how it works for you
— ChudTheBuilder (@ChudTheBuilder) May 7, 2026
The Victim
Just Hours after the shooting, the victim's wife started a GoFundMe to raise money for hospital costs. The campaign has already amassed over $58,000 out of the $75,000 goal. She writes:
My husband, Josh, was shot in the stomach and shoulder. As of the latest update, he is in stable condition, but the emotional and financial impact this will have on our family is unimaginable. There is no telling how long I may be out of work to help care for my husband, who is already a disabled veteran and suffers from other medical conditions.
Our children are also struggling through this difficult time. I’m not asking for a lot, but if you feel it in your heart to help, please consider donating to support our family during this time of need.
Eatherly seems to be on a run as this is his second arrest in just a few days. Not long ago, he was arrested for theft of services and disorderly conduct for streaming inside a restaurant despite being asked not to and for leaving without paying his bill.
The shooting marks a dramatic escalation in the controversies surrounding ChudTheBuilder and could have life-changing consequences for everyone involved. While Eatherly claims he acted in self-defense, investigators and prosecutors now face the task of determining whether the violence was justified or the predictable result of increasingly reckless behavior that had already drawn repeated legal trouble and public criticism already.
