'Chud the Builder' bond set at $1.2M in courthouse shooting case

Updated May 15, 2026, 3:26 p.m. CT

Dalton Eatherly, also known as Chud the Builder, appeared before a Montgomery County judge for a brief hearing on May 15, two days after police say he was involved in a shooting in front of the Montgomery County Courthouse.

Eatherly has been charged with attempted murder, employing a firearm during a dangerous felony, aggravated assault and reckless endangerment with a deadly weapon in connection with the May 13 shooting.

During the 9 a.m. hearing, his bond was set at $1.2 million.

The judge said the bond was set so high because of the number of lives that were put in danger outside the courthouse and because of Eatherly's current bond status.

Eatherly was arrested May 9 in Nashville and charged with theft of services, disorderly conduct and resisting arrest.

A preliminary hearing in the Clarksville case was set for May 26 and another bond hearing will take place on May 21, the judge ruled May 15.

The Montgomery County Sheriff's Office and Clarksville Police were called to the Montgomery County Courthouse a little before 2 p.m. on May 13.

According to an affidavit, Eatherly and Joshua Fox got into a verbal argument in front of the courthouse.

"Mr. Eatherly turned his body in a bladed stance towards Mr. Fox and reached for his firearm located in his right jacket pocket. Thereafter, a physical altercation ensued," the affidavit reads.

Eatherly shot Fox in the stomach and himself in the arm, investigators say.

Eatherly was taken to Vanderbilt of Clarksville Hospital for medical treatment and then booked into the Montgomery County Jail. Fox was Life Flighted to Vanderbilt University Medical Center, where he underwent emergency surgery.

According to the affidavit, there were several bystanders in the area, and surveillance footage shows a ricocheting bullet hitting nearby walls.

Eatherly livestreamed the aftermath of the shooting and is heard on video telling officers he walked up to the man who was pointing and laughing at him. The man told him to walk away, and if he made a racial comment toward him, he'd hit Eatherly, he told the officer.

“He hit me. Started wailing on me,” Eatherly told the officer. “Even after I had to defend myself by shooting him.”

In the May 9 Nashville case, Eatherly was arrested by Metro police and charged with theft of services, disorderly conduct and resisting arrest after an incident at a Broadway restaurant, Bob's Steak and Chop.

According to his affidavit, the restaurant and security manager told police they'd asked Eatherly not to livestream. He ordered two entrees, cocktails and appetizers totaling $371, according to the affidavit.

"When the restaurant realized he had been live streaming they asked him to stop his actions," the affidavit said. "He became disruptive and started making racial statements, yelling, screaming and otherwise creating a scene at the location."

Eatherly then said, "I'm not paying if you are kicking me out," the affidavit said. He then left the restaurant.

Police later found him walking on Broadway near 2nd Avenue South. When officers tried to take Eatherly into custody, he "pulled his arm away," but was otherwise arrested without incident, the affidavit said.

Kirsten Fiscus contributed to this story. Kenya Anderson is a reporter at The Leaf-Chronicle.