Two competing crowdfunding campaigns have exploded following the shooting involving Dalton Eatherly, known online as “Chud the Builder,” and Joshua Fox outside the Montgomery County Courthouse in Clarksville, Tennessee.
One fundraiser hosted on GiveSendGo has raised more than $138,000 for Eatherly and his family, far surpassing its original $100,000 target. A separate campaign on GoFundMe for Fox and his family has collected more than $62,000 toward a $75,000 goal.
Eatherly campaign focuses on free speech claims
The GiveSendGo campaign, titled Help the Chud and his family, was created by Eatherly himself. In the fundraiser, he says he launched his Tennessee contracting business after previously losing a job due to backlash over his online posts.
Eatherly acknowledged posting offensive jokes and racial slurs online, including use of the N-word, but described the comments as “edgy, harmless humor.” He argued that critics targeted his business and attempted to ruin his livelihood because of his speech.
The fundraiser also claims Eatherly and his family received violent threats, including threats directed at his two-year-old son. He wrote that the backlash left him financially struggling and seeking legal and personal support.
Also Read: Chud The Builder arrested in Nashville: Know about charges filed against Clarksville streamer Dalton Eatherly
“This isn’t just about money,” the campaign states. “It’s about standing up to a mob trying to destroy not just my family’s future over words, but our rights to free speech as a whole.”
Eatherly further claimed the controversy boosted his online following, saying he gained more than 23,000 Instagram followers after going viral.
Joshua Fox fundraiser focuses on recovery
Meanwhile, the GoFundMe campaign organized for Joshua Fox presents him as the victim injured in the courthouse shooting. According to the fundraiser, Fox was shot in the stomach and shoulder during the altercation and remains in stable condition.
The campaign was written by Fox’s wife, who said the incident has placed enormous emotional and financial pressure on the family. She described Fox as a disabled veteran who already suffers from additional medical conditions.
Also Read: ChudTheBuilder’s alleged mugshot surfaces after Joshua Fox shooting; GoFundMe launched for Dalton Eatherly
“There is no telling how long I may be out of work to help care for my husband,” the fundraiser reads.
The page also says the couple’s children are struggling emotionally in the aftermath of the shooting and asks supporters to keep the family in their prayers.
