Charges Filed Against Streamer for Attempted Murder
Chad the Builder, a streamer known for his racist content, has been charged with attempted murder after allegedly shooting a man outside a courthouse in Clarksville, Tennessee. Authorities report that Dalton Eatherly, 28, shot and killed an unidentified individual during a confrontation on Wednesday. Eatherly also accidentally shot himself in the process.
Notably, Eatherly gained notoriety online by recording himself using offensive racial slurs to provoke reactions. He was in court for a civil lawsuit regarding unpaid debts when this incident occurred, just days after being arrested for refusing to stop streaming and for not paying a $400 restaurant bill.
Eyewitnesses stated that Eatherly live-streamed from the scene, asserting that he fired in response to another man—described as Black—who had confronted him about his derogatory online behavior. Eatherly claimed they were joking around, but things escalated quickly. “He said, ‘That chimpanzee started yelling at me and saying, ‘I’m going to hit you,’ and then he hit me and started whaling,” he mentioned during the video, despite his prior use of similar terms in his content.
In what sounded like a bizarre twist, Eatherly attempted to shift blame to so-called “wealthy people” who he claimed incited the confrontation. He complained that, “They’re all saying, ‘If we all rob this guy, we’ll make him rich.’ That’s nonsense.”
The victim was transported by Life Flight and is reportedly in stable condition. Eatherly suffered a minor injury described as an abrasion to his arm, and authorities believe he accidentally shot himself during the altercation. He was taken into custody on-site.
In addition to attempted murder, he faces charges for aggravated assault, reckless endangerment with a deadly weapon, and unlawful use of a firearm in the commission of a dangerous felony. He has been remanded to the Montgomery County Jail pending his arraignment.
Eatherly contended on his live stream that his actions were in self-defense. Montgomery County Sheriff John Fuson stated, “This type of violence will not be tolerated and our office will work to hold those responsible accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”
Interestingly, just a week prior, another individual who identified as a “free speech patriot” was arrested for allegedly harassing a stranger at a restaurant in Nashville, during which he also refused to pay a hefty bill.
