Livestreamer Dalton Eatherly, popularly known as ‘Chud the Builder’, was arrested and charged with attempted murder after a shooting outside a Tennessee courthouse on Wednesday, authorities said. The 28-year-old and a man were involved in a confrontation that resulted in gunfire, District Attorney Robert J Nash said in a statement. But Nash wouldn’t say why Eatherly was at that courthouse in Clarksville, what he was doing or what prompted the confrontation.
While police did not formally identify the victim, a witness told The Associated Press that he is Black. On Thursday, a GoFundMe page identified the victim as a Joshua Fox.
GoFundMe set up
The fundraiser, set up by a woman who identified herself as Fox’s wife Ni, wrote: “It saddens me to come and ask for help, but today at the Montgomery County Courthouse in Clarksville, TN, my husband was involved in an altercation that led to him being shot by a man known as “Chud the Builder,” who is widely known for making racial slurs toward people of color.”
She further added that Fox was shot in the stomach and shoulder. 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,” she added.
The fundraiser has receieved over $18,000 in donations at the time of writing this story.
An X user, @JoshuaFoxAP, identified himself as the victim. They have posted several tweets since Wednesday. In one tweet, they wrote: “ He is not a hero , he attacked me and framed it like I was the aggressor. I will be heard!”
What happened on Wednesday?
After the shooting, both men were transported to hospitals for medical treatment and were stable, the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office said.
Eatherly was being held at the Montgomery County jail until bond can be set at an arraignment hearing, the county sheriff’s office said. Eatherly was also charged with employing a firearm during dangerous felony, aggravated assault and reckless endangerment with a deadly weapon, the sheriff’s office said.
‘Did I shoot myself … ?’
In a video posted on the website Pump.fun on Wednesday, Eatherly said he shot a man in self-defense after the person starting hitting him. Eatherly speaks with paramedics in the clip, one of whom takes note of a wound’s entry and exit point.
“Did I shoot myself or did it graze it?” Eatherly asked.
Eatherly had been scheduled to appear in court Wednesday morning in Clarksville, located about 50 miles (80 kilometers) northwest of Nashville, over a $3,300 debt allegedly owed to a credit company, according to Montgomery County court records. The civil case was filed in February on behalf of Midland Credit Management.
Court records didn’t indicate whether Eatherly showed up for the status hearing. Online records list the case as open.
Eatherly, a white man, livestreams confrontations to social media where he can be seen and heard making racially derogatory statements to Black people in public.
In one video taken in a market, he says to a passing Black man, “You chimpin’ out,” a reference to chimpanzees. He then uses the N-word a number of times.
The Black man is seen using a cellphone to record the confrontation, telling Eatherly, “Don’t touch me.”
