Austin Metcalf, a 17-year-old football player from Frisco, Texas, tragically passed away in the arms of his twin brother last week (April 2) after being stabbed at a high school track meet.
Karmelo Anthony, a 17-year-old fellow student, was apprehended and charged with first-degree murder.
The incident not only sent shockwaves through the community and nation, it also sparked a flood of speculation. Conspiracy theories soon started to emerge, with the most notable being one that claimed that the attack was motivated by revenge, with Anthony retaliating against Metcalf’s supposed bullying.
The rumor has since been debunked by Dominique Alexander, a spokesman for Anthony’s family, who said the two teens had never even met each other prior to the attack.
Representatives for Karmelo Anthony, who is charged with the murder of fellow high school athlete Austin Metcalf, have said they had never met each other
Speaking at a press conference last Tuesday (April 8), Alexander directly addressed the online rumors.
“As we know right now, Austin Metcalf and Karmelo Anthony did not know each other,” he continued. “The disinformation that is going online is hurting this case, and it has to stop.”
According to the representative—who works with Next Generation Action Network (NGAN), a social justice advocacy organization—the narrative of Metcalf having bullied Anthony before the stabbing has not only derailed public perception of the case but has led to graphic threats against Anthony’s family.
“They can’t leave their home,” Alexander said. “They’ve received racist messages, including images of Black children with knives stuck in their heads.”
“Karmelo Anthony has a right to a fair trial, unbiased and removed of racial hate and bigotry,” he added.
The narrative, initially put forth by Anthony’s online supporters without evidence, was spread in an attempt to help the teenager with his upcoming trial, however, according to Alexander, it ended up having the opposite effect.
Anthony immediately confessed after being apprehended but said that his actions were in self-defense
The stabbing took place at Kuykendall Stadium in Frisco, where the two students—each from a different high school—were attending a match between their schools. An arrest report later revealed that the fatal altercation began over something trivial: a chair.
Police say Metcalf told Anthony he was sitting under his team’s tent and asked him to move. Words were exchanged, and tensions escalated. According to a witness, Anthony then reached into his backpack and threatened Metcalf, saying, “Touch me and see what happens.”
Metcalf touched him, daring Anthony to punch him and attempting to forcibly remove him from the tent. At that point, Anthony took a knife out of his backpack, stabbed his rival in the chest, and ran away.
“I did it,” Anthony said after being apprehended and coming to his senses, asking officers if Metcalf was going to be ok and if his actions constituted self-defense. “It’s not alleged, I did it.”
Fundraiser pages were set up for both teenagers, but Anthony’s has since been taken down for unspecified reasons
Anthony’s attorney, Deric Walpole, confirmed that they intend to pursue a self-defense argument.
“I don’t have any reason to think it wasn’t self-defense at this time,” he said in an interview with local media. “But I need to talk to people, develop facts, and understand what really happened.”
With two weeks to go until Karmelo Anthony’s bond hearing, supporters on each side have started an unlikely GoFundMe battle, with two donation pages being created, highlighting the stark division the case has created.
The fundraiser set up by Metcalf’s family, by their father, Jeff, has raised $318,000 at the time of writing.
“He was a bright young man with a great future ahead of him. He was a leader of men. His smile would light up the room. His passion for football was unbelievable,” Jeff wrote.
“I love you forever, son. It’s not goodbye, it’s see you later. God will take care of us till we meet again.”
Karmelo Anthony’s fundraiser, on the other hand, was reported to have collected at least $280,000 for his defense. However, it has since been taken down for unknown reasons.
“Guilty.” Netizens were quick to dismiss the conspiracy theory, arguing that nothing justifies the stabbing
