The peaceful suburb of Frisco was shaken by a sorrowful and even divisive tragedy when a high school track meet turned fatal. Karmelo Anthony, a senior of 17 years at Frisco Centennial High School, stands indicted on a first-degree murder charge in the April 2, 2025, stabbing death of a fellow student, also a 17-year-old, in a fight.
The case has attracted nationwide attention, provoked heated public discourse, and revealed deep cleavages concerning violence by and against young people, race, and the justice system.
It was to have been a typical spring track meet at Kuykendall Stadium — students cheering, families in the crowd, and coaches yelling encouragement. It all changed in a matter of minutes, however.
A fight ensued between Anthony and Metcalf in a team tent over seating, according to witnesses. Witnesses claim Metcalf attempted to shove Anthony out of the tent. What started as a heated argument quickly escalated. Police say Anthony drew a knife out of a backpack and stabbed Metcalf in the chest.
Metcalf succumbed to injuries at the scene despite efforts at emergency response.
“He just stood there a minute or so,” a witness remembered. “And then Karmelo asked the officers, ‘Is he okay?’ and ‘Will this count as self-defense?’”
Anthony was arrested immediately and subsequently indicted on a charge of first-degree murder.
Anthony was initially being held in jail in Collin County on a bail of $1 million. On April 14, 2025, at a hearing, the judge heard testimony from the defense team and Anthony’s family and agreed to reduce the bond to $250,000.
His defense attorney, Mike Howard, asserted that Anthony had no criminal history and was not a flight risk. Anthony, if released, would be undergoing house arrest under 24-hour parental supervision, being fitted with an ankle monitor, and prohibited from using social media.
Prosecutors had pushed back, asserting that the stabbing was “a brutal murder,” and cited a previous altercation at school by Anthony on February 4, although charges had not been pressed in that incident. They asked that the initial bond remain in effect, stating murder cases in the county usually require a $1 million bond.
Anthony will not receive a death penalty or life in prison if convicted, due to being under the age of majority, according to U.S. Supreme Court decisions regarding minors.
The two teens were active and renowned in their respective schools.
His parents had characterized Karmelo as a responsible and high-achieving student who was a captain of the football and track teams, had a stable job at Foot Locker for two years, and assisted in the care of his younger three siblings.
“He’s not the kind of boy who would initiate something,”
the father said in the hearing.
“He’s always set goals, he’s always worked hard, and we’re having trouble figuring out how this could have happened.”
Austin Metcalf, the victim, was also an outstanding student and athlete. His twin brother, Hunter, a witness, described the stabbing as brutal and senseless in nature. Friends and family remembered the victim, Austin, as bright, driven, and kind. One fundraising effort in his honor yielded more than $275,000.
The incident has brought a flood of reaction online and in the country’s communities at large. Anthony’s supporters have also raised more than $415,000 in a GiveSendGo fundraising effort to assist in paying for his defense, although the family reported not being able currently to access the funds due to administrative barriers.
It’s not quite that simple a matter of picking up the phone and calling to collect the money, according to Anthony’s dad.
Meanwhile, the fundraiser has also caused a hotly contested debate. It’s inappropriate to raise funds for someone who has been indicted on a serious offense, critics say. GoFundMe removed similar fundraisers from the platform due to policies prohibiting the funding of defense of violent crimes. GiveSendGo, though, defended leaving Anthony’s fundraiser up, citing due process and the presumption of innocence.
Social media, meanwhile, has become a stage for public discourse, with postings running the gamut of messages of support to demands of justice for Austin Metcalf. The case is now a hot-point for debates around race, some highlighting institutionalized prejudice and others expressing skepticism of the use of lethal force in a conversation that started as verbal altercation.
Two families are left devastated and a whole town in upheaval by the tragedy, and it also leaves us asking larger questions concerning the pressures upon young people and the way a conflict can rapidly turn life-ending.
“This is not one incident,”
said Dr. Carmen Diaz, a researcher of youth violence.
“This is about how we, as a society, are preparing, or not preparing, young people to manage stress, conflict, and trauma.”
Racial considerations have also arisen, as certain people feel that instances involving Black teenagers are always perceived in a different manner in the criminal justice system. Advocates of Anthony believe that the justice system is judging the background, accomplishment, and character of the boy by one incident alone, while others feel that accountability is necessary in any case, regardless of background or age.
