How a Racist Livestreamer’s Provocations Led to a Shooting—and What It Reveals About Online Radicalization

On Wednesday, Dalton Eatherly—better known online as “Chud the Builder”—shot a man in Clarksville, Tennessee, and then shot himself during the altercation, according to local police. Authorities confirmed the incident occurred in a Nashville suburb and that Eatherly, a 28-year-old construction worker, has been charged with attempted murder by the Montgomery County district attorney.

Eatherly’s online persona blends a cowboy hat, a mustache, and a construction background into a deliberately provocative act. His livestreams often feature racial slurs, including the n-word and the slur “chimping out,” which compares Black people to monkeys. When confronted, he has encouraged physical retaliation so he can claim self-defense and use pepper spray or a firearm. The shooting followed an altercation in which the victim allegedly punched Eatherly.

Eatherly’s rise to online infamy stems from a calculated strategy of shock content. His livestreams, often hours long, are repackaged by “clipping” accounts into viral moments that circulate on far-right platforms such as InfoWars and Gavin McInnes’s online show. His stated goal is to “reclaim” the n-word for white people, a claim widely dismissed as disingenuous.

His rhetoric has drawn responses from prominent Black creators. Hip-hop podcaster DJ Akademiks recently called for Eatherly’s assassination, referencing Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, stating, “Somebody might have to just do it.”

The economics of online radicalization

Eatherly’s notoriety has translated into financial gain. He has raised over $65,000 through crowdfunding and sells a memecoin named “$CHUD.” His Clarksville community has also become a focal point for his online activity, with his provocations drawing both supporters and critics.

Streamer Asmongold commented on the incident, calling it a “huge, huge aura loss” and noting that Eatherly’s behavior was widely anticipated given his pattern of escalation. “Everybody knew this was going to happen,” Asmongold said.

From road rage to livestreaming infamy

Eatherly’s online career appears to have begun after a 2024 or early 2025 road rage incident involving a Black woman. His subsequent pivot to livestreaming racial provocations has since become a case study in how extremist content is monetized and amplified in the digital age.