A Texas teenager has been charged with murder in connection with the fatal stabbing of a 17-year-old at a high school track meet.
Karmelo Anthony, 17, was charged with first-degree murder in the death of Austin Metcalf, Collin County District Attorney Greg Willis announced Tuesday.
The horrific incident took place on April 2 of this year, during a sporting event at Memorial High School in Frisco, about 30 miles north of Dallas. Prior to the incident, Metcalf reportedly asked Anthony to leave the event because he did not attend that high school.
Metcalf was found with a stab wound when police arrived. He was transported to a nearby hospital for treatment but was later pronounced dead.
In a statement, Willis admitted that Metcalf’s death had “struck a deep nerve” in the community and beyond. “That is understandable.” “When something like this happens at a school event, it shakes people to their core,” he explained. “However, the justice system functions best when it moves steadily and with principle.
“That is what we are committed to. And that is precisely what this case deserves. We are also thinking of Austin’s family and everyone who loved him. Please keep them in your thoughts — and, if possible, in your prayers.”
Metcalf went to Frisco Memorial High School, and Anthony attended Frisco Centennial High School. It wasn’t immediately clear whether they knew each other before the incident.
Metcalf was a junior at Memorial who competed on the track and field and football teams. His father, Jeff Metcalf, stated that the 17-year-old’s twin brother, Hunter Metcalf, was with him at the time of the incident and held him while he died. “I tried to whip around as fast as I could,” Hunter Metcalf told WFAA, struggling to describe the incident. “I looked at my brother, and I’m not going to discuss the rest. “I tried to help him.”
Anthony cooperated with officers after the alleged stabbing and was taken into custody, according to an arrest report. He allegedly asked police if Metcalf was going to be okay and if his actions would be considered self-defense.
Following the indictment announcement on Tuesday, Anthony’s lawyer, Mike Howard, responded with a video message. “We are confident that when all the facts are presented and the full story is heard the jury will reach the right conclusion and justice will be done,” according to him.
A fundraiser on GiveSendGo.com to pay for the family’s legal fees and other expenses has raised more than $530,000 to date.
In Texas, murder is a first-degree felony offense punishable by 5 to 99 years, or life, in a state prison and an optional fine of up to $10,000.
In Texas’ criminal justice system, 17-year-olds are considered adults.
