Racist Streamer SHOOTS UP Courthouse!

A controversial livestreamer who built his fame on racial provocations now faces life in prison after shooting a disabled Army veteran outside a Tennessee courthouse, raising explosive questions about self-defense, online ragebait, and who really pulls the trigger in America’s culture wars.^[3]

Story Snapshot

Dalton Eatherly, 28, known as “Chud the Builder,” charged with attempted murder after firing shots in Millennium Plaza outside Montgomery County Courthouse on May 13, 2026.^[1]^[3]
Eatherly livestreamed the confrontation, claiming self-defense after an unidentified man—later identified as disabled veteran Joshua Love—allegedly punched him first; he also shot himself in the arm.^[3]^[4]
Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office added charges of employing a firearm during a dangerous felony, aggravated assault, and reckless endangerment; held without bond.^[1]^[2]
Eatherly’s history includes recent arrests for disorderly conduct and theft in Nashville, plus a pattern of public racial slurs targeting Black people.^[3]
Post-shooting social media posts by Eatherly called the victim a “chimp,” fueling premeditation claims tied to a May 7 warning of lethal force.^[5]

Shooting Unfolds Outside Clarksville Courthouse

Dalton Eatherly approached a group in Millennium Plaza at 1:15 p.m. on May 13, 2026, after noticing people laughing and pointing at him. A confrontation erupted with Joshua Love, a disabled Army veteran with two children. Witnesses reported one man punched Eatherly; three to four shots followed. District Attorney Robert J. Nash confirmed Eatherly fired first and sustained a graze wound to his arm, likely self-inflicted. Deputies arrested both men immediately.^[3]

Eatherly livestreamed the chaos, telling first responders the victim struck him unprovoked, referenced PTSD, and continued attacking even after shots rang out. Video evidence reportedly shows Eatherly assaulting Love post-shooting, undermining pure self-defense claims. No independent witnesses yet corroborate Eatherly’s sequence of events.^[3]^[5]

Charges Stack Up Against Provocative Streamer

Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office booked Eatherly on criminal attempt: murder, employing a firearm during a dangerous felony, aggravated assault, and reckless endangerment with a deadly weapon. Prosecutors point to his May 7 social media post: “I will defend my life with lethal force. Do not approach me with intent to threaten bodily harm.” A deleted tweet referenced a “dead chimp on the pavement,” interpreted as anticipating violence.^[3]

After the shooting, Eatherly posted on Facebook: “The chimp I shot in self-defense is in emergency surgery learning actions have consequences” and “Don’t chimp out if you can’t take the return fire.” These statements, lacking remorse, strengthen premeditation arguments under Tennessee law, where provocation can negate self-defense.^[5]

Eatherly’s Pattern of Public Antagonism

Chud the Builder gained notoriety livestreaming racially derogatory rants at Black people in public, from Walmart incidents involving children to restaurant disruptions. On May 10, Nashville police arrested him for disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, and theft under $1,000. A November 2025 harassment charge stemmed from phone forwarding antics. This history paints Eatherly as an instigator, not victim.^[1]^[2]

Conservatives rightly champion Second Amendment rights and stand-your-ground laws, but common sense demands scrutiny when the “defender” proactively courts conflict. Eatherly approached the group, armed and filming—facts aligning with Tennessee’s provocation doctrine (TCA § 39-11-622), which bars self-defense for those who spark fights.^[3]

Joshua Fox Clarksville TN Shooting-Livestreamer Dalton Eatherly aka ChudTheBuilder arrested for attempted murder at Montgomery County Courthouse https://t.co/6heIdESJK9

— Jude Kelly (@DeathNewsDaily) May 14, 2026

Joshua Love’s status as a military veteran amplifies sympathy, with GoFundMe campaigns surging. Yet unresolved questions linger: full livestream audio, courthouse security footage, ballistics on accidental discharge, and witness depositions could flip the narrative. Without them, Eatherly’s bravado posts seal a damning portrait.^[4]

Broader Implications for Livestream Ragebait Culture

Eatherly embodies a rising breed of online provocateurs turning digital antagonism into real-world violence. Network Contagion Research Institute data logs 150+ far-right streamer arrests since 2018, 28% firearm-related. Courthouses, symbols of order, become flashpoints when clout-chasers like Chud weaponize slurs and streams.^[3]

American conservatives value personal responsibility and free speech, but glorify restraint over escalation. Eatherly’s case warns: courting confrontation erodes credible self-defense claims. As trials unfold, forensics and footage will decide if this was justified force or manufactured mayhem—keeping viewers hooked on the truth.^[5]