A spokesperson for the family of Karmelo Anthony, the 17-year-old charged with murder in connection to the fatal stabbing of fellow teenager Austin Metcalf, has come forward to address the increasing speculation and misinformation circulating online regarding the case. The tragic event occurred on April 2 during a high school track meet at Kuykendall Stadium in Frisco, Texas. Austin Metcalf, a well-regarded student-athlete, reportedly approached Anthony to request that he vacate the seating area designated for Frisco Memorial High School. Witnesses, including Austin’s twin brother Hunter, indicate that the situation escalated rapidly.
“My brother intervened and said, ‘You need to move.’ To which Anthony responded, ‘Make me move,’” Hunter recounted to WFAA.
Shortly thereafter, Anthony allegedly retrieved a knife from his backpack and stabbed Austin in the chest. Despite attempts to save him, Austin succumbed to his injuries in his brother’s arms.
In the wake of the incident, speculation intensified online, driven by social media accounts impersonating officials and disseminating unverified information. One widely shared post, falsely attributed to the Frisco police chief, claimed that the stabbing resulted from “mutual combat” and suggested that Austin had overpowered Anthony before the fatal attack. Other theories insinuated a prior relationship between the two teens, a notion that the Anthony family vehemently refutes.
Dominique Alexander, representing the Anthony family, addressed these rumors during a recent press conference.
“The spread of misinformation online is detrimental to this case and must cease. Currently, it is clear that Austin Metcalf and Karmelo Anthony did not know each other,” Alexander stated, as reported by the Daily Mail.
He also underscored the necessity of due process.
“Karmelo Anthony deserves a fair trial, free from bias, racial hatred, and bigotry,” he added.
Alexander disclosed that Anthony’s family has received alarming threats since the incident, some of which are graphic and racially charged, leaving them feeling unsafe in their own community.At the same time, Anthony, who has not contested the act of stabbing, asserts that he was acting in self-defense.
“I did it, it’s not alleged,”
he reportedly stated after his arrest. A fundraising campaign initiated to assist with his legal defense has exceeded $280,000, attracting both support and criticism as the case moves through the judicial process.
With heightened tensions and strong emotions, both families are confronted not only with the distressing realities of the tragedy but also with the extensive repercussions of speculation, discourse, and a trial that has yet to officially commence.
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