The father of a Texas high school football star who was fatally stabbed during a track meet has shared heartbreaking details about his son’s body.
A high school track meet in Frisco, Texas, turned into a scene of tragedy when 17-year-old Austin Metcalf was fatally stabbed in the chest.
The deadly encounter unfolded on April 2 at David Kuykendall Stadium after a confrontation broke out between the late teen, a junior linebacker at Memorial High School, and 17-year-old Karmelo Anthony, a senior football player from nearby Centennial High School.
According to an arrest affidavit obtained by NBC DFW, the two teens had never met before. Austin allegedly told Anthony he was sitting under another team’s pop-up tent and asked him to move.
Witnesses say Anthony refused and warned: “Touch me and see what happens.” When Austin tried to move him, Anthony allegedly unzipped his bag, pulled out a black knife, and stabbed him once in the chest. “The blade went straight into his heart,” officials said.
Hunter, his identical twin, watched helplessly as his brother’s life slipped away. “I put my hand on [his chest], tried to make [the bleeding] stop, and I grabbed his head and I looked in his eyes,” he told Fox News. “I just saw his soul leave. And it took my soul, too.”
Jeff Metcalf rushed to the stadium after learning his 17-year-old son had been stabbed through the heart.
The distraught father told The Dallas Morning News that he knew at that point that his son wasn’t breathing, so he kissed his forehead and ran his fingers through his hair.
Anthony allegedly ran from the scene after the incident but was quickly arrested by responding officers.
According to officials, he allegedly admitted to the stabbing, telling officers: “I’m not alleged. I did it.” He also said: “I was protecting myself. He put his hands on me,” and asked if it would be considered self-defense and whether Austin was going to be okay.
The suspect has been charged with murder and is currently being held at the Collin County Jail on a $1 million bond. If convicted, he faces between five and 99 years in prison.
The stabbing has shaken the community – and the nation – with two fundraisers emerging in the aftermath. A GoFundMe for Austin’s family has raised nearly $282K, while a GiveSendGo campaign for Anthony has sparked debate, collecting over $218K from supporters who claim he was bullied and acted in self-defense.
“The narrative being spread is false, unjust, and harmful,” the Anthony family’s fundraiser says. “Your prayers and assistance mean more to us now more than ever.”
One donor commented: “I’m praying for you Kamelo. It’s ok to defend yourself from bullying,” while another added: “This baby was bullied and was defending himself, I know it’s more to this story.”
Anthony’s father told The New York Post his son wasn’t the aggressor, describing him as a hardworking teen with a 3.7 GPA who held two jobs. “He’s a good kid,” he said. “He was not the one who started it.”
Anthony’s attorney, Deric Walpole, has filed a motion to reduce the bond, citing possible self-defense. “I don’t have any reason to disbelieve that,” he told the outlet. “But I need to develop facts, talk to people, and figure out what’s going on before I make any statements about what I think happened.”
As the case continues to unfold, the University Interscholastic League (UIL) released a statement expressing their condolences: “UIL is deeply saddened by the tragic incident that took place at the District 11-5A track meet on April 2 at Frisco ISD’s Kuykendall Stadium… Our thoughts go out to those impacted.”
Austin’s family remains devastated. Hunter and Austin were inseparable, and now, the surviving twin is left trying to process life without his other half.
“We were one person,” Hunter said. “We did everything together, everything the same. We connected so well.”
