A grand jury in Collin County, Texas, has indicted Karmelo Anthony, who is Black, with first degree murder in the death of Austin Metcalf, who is White. The announcement of the indictment was June 24.
The fatal incident happened at a track meet in Frisco, Texas. Both teens were 17 years old at the time of the April 2, 2025, incident. Karmelo Anthony, now 18, faces from 5 to 99 years or life in prison and an optional fine not to exceed $10,000, according to District Attorney Greg Willis.
He announced the indictment on video, saying the case has struck a deep nerve in and beyond Collin County. “When something like this happens at a school event, it shakes people to the core,” stated D.A. Willis.
The indictment charges that Karmelo “intentionally and knowingly” caused the death of Austin Metcalf, by stabbing him with a knife.
“We expect that when the full story is heard, the prosecution will not be able to rule out the reasonable doubt that Karmelo Anthony may have acted in self-defense,” stated Karmelo’s Dallas-based attorney, Michael Howard, in a video statement.
“Self-defense is a fundamental right guaranteed every American. The law is clear. When self-defense is raised by the facts, the law puts the burden squarely on the prosecution to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the citizen accused did not act in self-defense” he said.
Atty. Howard continued that the law does not expect or require the citizen accused to prove that they acted in self-defense. And he explained that only in a trial will a jury hear the full story, including critical facts and context that the grand jury simply didn’t get to hear, and in which both sides get to present evidence and cross-examine each other’s witnesses.
Karmelo Anthony looks forward to his day in court, and he and his family are confident in the justice system and the people of Collin County to be fair and impartial, said Atty. Howard.
The incident occurred at a track and field event at Kuykendall Stadium, in Frisco, located approximately 30 minutes from Dallas.
Police reported that the two teens were involved in a disagreement over a seat. Unconfirmed reports alleged that Austin Metcalf used racial slurs.
According to CBS News, a witness alleged that Austin Metcalf touched Karmelo Anthony, and another witness said Austin grabbed Karmelo.
Several reports also alleged that Austin Metcalf was reportedly the aggressor. Some media outlets also reported that according to the police report, Karmelo Anthony told officers, “I was protecting myself.” The stabbing was also reportedly witnessed by Austin Metcalf’s twin brother Hunter.
According to reports, Frisco ISD released surveillance footage of the incident but the people are not clearly identifiable in the video.
“Honestly, if they sentence this little boy to high-range digits, then that will be a miscarriage of justice, because you have to look at all the mitigating factors when you make a decision,” stated Houston-based defense attorney Sadiyah Karriem.
It doesn’t take much in the State of Texas for a case to get indicted, given that the grand jury is just 12 people who get together and make a decision of whether there was enough evidence to believe a crime has taken place, she explained.
“However, the other part is he has not been proven guilty, so Karmelo has an opportunity to present the evidence in his case. … He has a presumption of innocence as well, but he has the presumption of self-defense,” she told The Final Call.
“And regardless if he was not supposed to have the weapon on the property or not, if he believed that his life was in danger, then he has a right to protect himself and protect his life,” said Atty. Karriem.
When the story broke, observers raised questions about the double standards regarding how mainstream media first treated the incident and the ongoing investigation. They also challenged the initial narrative presented, which portrayed the Black teen as the aggressor and the White teen as the innocent victim.
“This case is yet another example of what it means to be Black in America, where even our self-defense is questioned, scrutinized, and politicized.
My involvement—like many others— came as a direct response to the overwhelming hate, threats, and outside influence that have surrounded this case since day one,” Minister Dominique Alexander, president of the Dallas-based Next Generation Action Network, stated online.
Though prohibited from attending graduation, Karmelo Anthony, reportedly maintained his 3.7 GPA and received his diploma from Centennial High School. He completed his coursework under house arrest, after being released from jail on a $250,000 bond on April 14, according to reports. Bail was originally set for $1 million.
“The next step in this legal process will be assigning a trial judge who will then set a first appearance court date. That first appearance could be days, weeks or moths down the road,” reported CBS News.
—Charlene Muhammad,
National Correspondent