Sneako compares Chud the Builder backlash to Charlie Kirk debate after shocking Tennessee arrest case (Image via Getty)
Sneako believes the arrest of Dalton Eatherly could become a major moment in the debate around free speech in America. The livestreamer reacted strongly after Chud the Builder was arrested in Tennessee on May 13 following a shooting outside the Montgomery County Courthouse in Clarksville. During his livestream, Sneako said the situation showed that “free speech has now been challenged” and argued that people were losing the rights they were promised under the Constitution. He claimed people were becoming too quick to punish speech, even when it involved only words. Sneako also spoke about how some people online were comparing Chud the Builder to Charlie Kirk, the conservative activist who was killed last year.Sneako said:“Free speech has now been challenged in a way where it’s not gonna be able to come back from. We no longer have free speech in the way that we are supposed to. We don’t have the Amendment Rights that we are promised. If you cannot say words within a vacuum.. saying a word alone like this, people are going to get extremely upset and are gonna challenge it more.”Even though Sneako said he disagreed with many of Charlie Kirk’s views, he also said violence should never happen because of political disagreements. He added:“Charlie Kirk was talking about gang violence. He was talking about problems within America. I disagree with so much of what he said. I used to clown him all the time… But I don’t think something violent should have happened to him.”
Montgomery County Courthouse shooting leads to attempted murder charges against Dalton Eatherly
According to CNN and a statement from the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, the shooting happened outside the Montgomery County Courthouse in Clarksville, Tennessee, on Wednesday. Authorities said two people were shot during the incident, including Dalton Eatherly, better known online as Chud the Builder. The second person involved has not been publicly identified.Both men were taken to nearby hospitals. By Wednesday evening, officials confirmed that both were in stable condition.After the shooting, authorities charged Eatherly with attempted murder, employing a firearm during a dangerous felony, reckless endangerment with a deadly weapon, and aggravated assault. Officials also confirmed that he remains in custody while waiting for his arraignment.Before his arrest, Eatherly spoke about the incident during a livestream. He claimed he “had to defend” himself after an argument with the other man. During the video, he described how the man pointed at him and laughed before tensions grew between them.CNN also reported that Eatherly has previously used racist language in his online videos, including calling Black people “chimps.” During the livestream after the shooting, the other man allegedly warned Eatherly not to say “all that chimp stuff” before the fight turned physical.The case has now sparked a wider online debate around free speech, online behavior, and whether offensive speech should ever be compared to real-world violence. While Sneako focused on constitutional rights during his reaction, critics online have argued that repeated hateful language can also create dangerous situations.
