On April 2, 2025, Austin Metcalf, a 17-year-old American student at Memorial High School, was fatally stabbed by Karmelo Anthony, a Centennial High School student of the same age, while attending a school track meet in Frisco, Texas. He died of his injuries at the scene. Anthony surrendered himself to authorities soon after the stabbing and has been charged with murder. Anthony pled not guilty, alleging self-defense. The trial is scheduled for June 1, 2026.
The incident has been the basis for much online attention, misinformation, and fundraising.
Background
Austin Metcalf
Metcalf, born July 31, 2007,[1] was a junior at Memorial High School in Frisco, Texas, where he had a 3.97 GPA.[2] He was MVPlinebacker of the football team and participated in track and field.[3][4] Metcalf's father said that his playing football was his "pride and joy".[5] His twin brother, Hunter Metcalf, who played football with him, stated that he always looked up to Austin.[6][7][8]
Karmelo Anthony
Karmelo Anthony, the accused perpetrator, was a prominent student and athlete for the track and football team, which he captained, at Centennial High School, also in Frisco.[4] Witnesses say that Anthony and Metcalf did not know each other.[9][10] Anthony was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and held two part-time jobs. He is the oldest of four children in his family. He had no prior criminal history.[11]
Incident
The stabbing occurred at the Memorial High School tent in the David Kuykendall Stadium at approximately 10 a.m. (CDT) on April 2, 2025.[12] The altercation started when the track and field championship event was delayed due to thunderstorms and heavy downpours.[13] Hunter Metcalf, Austin's twin brother, told Anthony to move out from the Memorial team's tent. Austin then confronted Anthony.[14] During the argument that ensued, he allegedly told Metcalf, "Touch me and see what happens," while reaching his hand into his backpack. Metcalf then pushed Anthony on the bleachers they were on; in response, he allegedly said "Punch me and see what happens", to which Austin pushed him. In response, he pulled out a black knife from the backpack and stabbed him once in the chest before running away. Another witness in the Frisco Police Arrest Report stated "Austin and [Anthony] went back and forth and then Austin stood up and pushed [Anthony] to get him out of the tent".[13][15][16]
After being stabbed, Austin ran down the bleachers grabbing his chest and told those around him to get help. When police arrived, he was not conscious or breathing. Multiple athletic trainers were performing chest compressions on him. Despite the efforts of his brother, responding emergency medical technicians and other people to revive him, Austin Metcalf was pronounced dead minutes after arriving in the hospital.[17][12]
Anthony quickly surrendered to police. According to a responding officer, Anthony first said "I was protecting myself" and was "emotional" and "crying hysterically" after he was arrested. The officer then communicated to others that he had Anthony in custody, to which he responded, "I'm not 'alleged.' I did it." As he was being escorted to the police car, Anthony reportedly said: "He put his hands on me, I told him not to". While he was sitting at the back seat of the police car, he asked if Metcalf is "going to be OK" and reportedly asked the officer if what he did was considered self-defense.[18][12][13]
Legal proceedings
Anthony was charged with murder and transported to the Collin County jail.[15] He was charged as an adult, since, under the Texas criminal justice system, defendants age 17 and older are prosecuted as adults.[19]
On April 14, 2025, Judge Angela Tucker lowered Anthony's bond from $1 million to $250,000, citing his clean criminal record and his academic and athletic achievements. [20][21] According to his release conditions, he must be supervised by an adult at all times and must contact the judge's bailiff every Friday morning. He was prohibited from using social media or contacting Metcalf's family.[22]
Mike Howard, Anthony's lawyer, said that he would plead not guilty and claim self-defense at his future trial.[23] District Attorney Greg Willis noted that Anthony would not be eligible to be sentenced to life without parole or the death penalty due to his age. [24]
On June 24, 2025, Willis announced a grand jury had indicted Anthony on charges of first-degree murder.[25] On July 9, 2025, the trial was scheduled for June 1, 2026.[26]
Aftermath
The courts approved Anthony moving to an "undisclosed location" due to safety concerns.[27][28] According to the Next Generation Action Network (NGAN), a nonprofit organization working with Anthony's family, the move was precipitated by an "alarming increase in death threats, continued harassment, and physical intimidation" targeted at him and his family's home.[29][28][30]
Metcalf's mother and father have both had their homes swatted, with one such incident resulting in a SWAT team showing up to Metcalf's father's home with their weapons drawn.[31][32] Additionally, both Metcalf's and Anthony's fathers have been forced to leave their jobs after facing harassment and doxxing.[33][34] Angela Tucker, the judge who lowered the bond to $250,000, has also been doxxed and received multiple threats from unknown people. The Federal Bureau of Investigation is reportedly investigating the incident.[35][21] The local sheriff's office is also investigating on whether anyone shared her personal information online.[36]
Metcalf's family requested privacy for his funeral, which was held on April 9, 2025. His online obituary celebrated his engagement in sports.[37]
Anthony's parents and the NGAN held a press conference on April 17. Metcalf's father attended the event. However, roughly 40 minutes after the press conference was supposed to begin, Dallas police approached Metcalf and asked him to leave. After Metcalf had left the press conference, NGAN founder and president Dominique Alexander said Metcalf was "uninvited" and that his presence was "disrespectful to the dignity of his son". Metcalf said he thought it would be "an opportunity for the two families to come together in a productive way".[30][38]
Fundraiser
Anthony's family set up a crowdfunding campaign on GiveSendGo to pay for legal defense, raising over $453,000 in donations by April 17 and over $515,000 by May 1.[39][40]GoFundMe crowdfunding campaigns were launched by Metcalf's father and the owner of the pizzeria in Frisco where Metcalf worked part-time, raising nearly $250,000.[41]
The founder of the GiveSendGo company, Jacob Wells, has compared the case to those of Kyle Rittenhouse and Daniel Penny, stating that Anthony should be afforded the "same presumption of innocence" as anyone else.[42] On May 2, GiveSendGo turned off the commenting function on Anthony's fundraiser page, citing an "unacceptable volume of racist and derogatory remarks".[43]
Misinformation
Anthony's family was attacked online after a news report from Daily Mail falsely claimed that he was living in a "luxurious" $900,000 house with his family due to him taking thousands of dollars from donations,[35] however the family had not withdrawn any money from donations.[44]
Shortly after Metcalf's death, an X account impersonating the Frisco police chief began spreading misinformation. The account posted a fake autopsy report that stated that Metcalf died from MDMA-fentanyl overdose. The post gained millions of views on X and other social media platforms. The Frisco Police Department and the FBI began investigating the account for police impersonation.[45][46]
Protest
On April 19, 2025, the group Protect White Americans held a protest at David Kuykendall Stadium, where Metcalf was killed. Protestors demanded Anthony be returned to police custody until his trial. One counter protestor who pepper-sprayed an attendee and another who antagonized attendees were both arrested. Metcalf's father told the organizer of the protest that he disapproved of his efforts, stating, "You're trying to create more race divide than bridging the gap. I do not condone anything you do." He also requested that his son's school portrait be removed from the group's website.[47]
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