Defense Fund Growing For Stabbing Suspect

A tragic incident unfolded at Kuykendall Stadium in Frisco, Texas, during a high school track meet last Wednesday, where 17-year-old Austin Metcalf, a junior and standout football player at Frisco Memorial High School, was fatally stabbed in the chest. The suspect, 17-year-old Karmelo Anthony, a student from rival Frisco Centennial High School, was arrested at the scene and charged with first-degree murder. He remains in Collin County Jail on a $1 million bond. The altercation, reportedly sparked by a dispute over seating in a school tent during a weather delay, lasted mere seconds, leaving Metcalf to die in the arms of his twin brother, Hunter, who witnessed the event and tried to stop the bleeding.

Metcalf top, Anthony

The case quickly escalated into a national story, fueled by racial undertones—Metcalf was white, Anthony is Black—and a subsequent explosion of online misinformation. Within hours of Anthony’s arrest, a fundraising campaign on GiveSendGo, launched by his family, surged to nearly $200,000 (with reports citing figures between $165,000 and $170,000 by April 7, 2025) to support his legal defense. The family’s fundraiser claimed Anthony acted in self-defense, alleging he was “jumped” by Metcalf and his brother, and decried the public narrative as “false, unjust, and harmful.” This came after an earlier crowdfunding effort on another platform, which had raised over $140,000, was abruptly taken down, possibly due to policy violations or public backlash.

The fundraising success coincided with a wave of fake social media posts impersonating officials, including Frisco Police Chief David Shilson and the Collin County Medical Examiner’s Office. These posts spread inflammatory falsehoods, painting Metcalf as a violent, drug-addicted bully who initiated a “mutual combat altercation” by “sucker-punching” Anthony and smashing his phone. One fabricated post, falsely attributed to Shilson, claimed the stabbing wasn’t racially motivated but leaned on racially charged language, referring to Anthony only as a “Black teen” or “suspect” while naming Metcalf explicitly. Another hoax, posing as a medical examiner’s report, alleged Metcalf died of an MDMA and fentanyl overdose, not the stab wound—claims swiftly debunked by authorities, as no official autopsy had been released by April 7.

The incident and its aftermath shocked the nation, amplified by the heartbreaking detail from Metcalf’s family that he died in Hunter’s arms, calling for his parents as they rushed to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Anthony, meanwhile, told police he acted in self-defense after Metcalf “put his hands on me,” a claim echoed by his attorney, Deric Walpole, who cautioned against premature judgment. Witnesses reported the two didn’t know each other, with one stating Anthony approached Metcalf’s tent uninvited, leading to the fatal clash.

The rapid fundraising—nearly $200,000 in hours—drew outrage from some, who saw it as rewarding a killer, while supporters argued it ensured Anthony’s right to a fair defense in a case muddied by misinformation.

The Anthony family offered condolences Monday to the other student’s loved ones and called for the public’s patience as they “seek the truth” through the courts. The statement, issued on behalf of Karmelo Anthony’s family by their legal team, says they are “sincerely saddened that a life was lost.”