FRISCO, Texas — A high school track meet turned deadly, and now a Texas town is caught in a firestorm of vengeance, racial strife, and relentless harassment.
On April 2, 2025, Austin Metcalf, a 17-year-old football star with a 4.0 GPA, was stabbed to death at Kuykendall Stadium.
The accused, 17-year-old Karmelo Anthony, walked free on house arrest, only to be whisked to a secret location as death threats mounted. What began as a teenage dispute has spiraled into a saga of swatting, protests, and online lies, leaving two families shattered and a community on edge.
The tragedy unfolded in seconds. Witnesses say a heated argument at the Frisco track meet escalated when Metcalf grabbed or pushed Anthony, who then pulled a knife and stabbed him.
Anthony didn’t flinch when questioned by police, declaring, “I’m not alleged. I did it.” Charged with murder, his bond was slashed from $1 million to $250,000, sparking outrage when he was released to house arrest. Especially after critics learned he and his family live in an exclusive gated community.
Threats against Anthony grew so severe that authorities hid him in an undisclosed location, court officials confirmed.
But the chaos didn’t stop there. Jeff Metcalf, Austin’s grieving father, faced a nightmare beyond his son’s death. Swatting attacks—fake emergency calls triggering armed police responses—hit his home on April 8 and April 17, 2025.
Metcalf Family Faces Second Swatting Attack
“We’re living in fear for our safety,” Jeff told local reporters, his voice heavy with exhaustion. He begged for unity, insisting, “This is about right and wrong, not race.” Yet, vicious online rumors about Austin’s character only deepened the family’s pain.
Karmelo Anthony’s family, meanwhile, faced their own torment. Kala Hayes, his mother, described a barrage of death threats, drive-bys, and racially charged harassment, including fake food deliveries meant to intimidate.
“We’re scared every day,” she told investigators. False claims that the family splurged donated funds on a house and car spread like wildfire, but fact-checkers confirmed no money was touched as of April 17, 2025.
The tragedy has lit a fuse in Frisco. On April 15, 2025, protesters gathered at Kuykendall Stadium, some hoisting signs blaring “Protect White Americans” and “Stop Black Violence on White Americans,” organized by a group called Protect White Americans.
The rally drew sharp rebukes from the Next Generation Action Network, which supports Anthony’s family and decried the protests as “hate-driven.” They pointed to the common excuse of “systemic racism” fueling the threats against Hayes and her son.
Social media poured gasoline on the flames. X buzzed with fury—some users demanded Anthony face swift justice, while others cried foul over perceived bias in the courts.
The tragedy of Austin Metcalf’s death has been compounded by a vicious online battle over crowdfunding campaigns, with GiveSendGo fundraisers for both families drawing nearly $1 million combined—and a torrent of hateful comments.
The Anthony family’s campaign, raising over $450,000, has been besieged by accusations of fraud, with social media users falsely claiming Kala Hayes and her husband splurged on a $900,000 home and a Cadillac. “We haven’t received a single dime,” Hayes insisted at a press conference, noting the funds were only recently accessible and would take days to process.
Fact-checkers confirmed no money was withdrawn as of April 17, 2025, yet the rumors persist, fueling threats against the Anthonys.
One X user fumed, “I’ll never use GiveSendGo since they don’t abide by their own policy,” reflecting distrust in the platform’s handling of the controversy. Specifically, the raising of money for an admitted killer.
The Metcalf family’s fundraiser, launched by Jeff Metcalf to honor his son, has also faced scrutiny, with some questioning how the funds are being used. Online trolls have spread lies about Austin’s character, prompting Jeff to decry the “overwhelming” harassment.
The back-and-forth has escalated tensions, with each side accusing the other of exploiting donations. At a heated April 17 press conference, Hayes tearfully addressed the attacks, saying, “My three younger children, my husband, and I don’t deserve to be threatened, harassed, and lied about.”
Meanwhile, Jeff’s presence at the event sparked outrage, with Dominique Alexander, an Anthony family advocate, calling it “a disrespect to the dignity of his son”.
Jeff Metcalf’s efforts to represent his son have stirred controversy, with some questioning his judgment. His unexpected appearance at the Anthony family’s press conference on April 17, 2025, led to his removal by Dallas police after he refused to leave when asked.
Jeff told reporters he hoped to “represent Austin” and counter rumors, even suggesting a unified prayer with the Anthonys. “They should have said, ‘We’re so sorry. Our condolences,’” he told the New York Post, feeling “disrespected” by the ordeal.
Jeff Metcalf Escorted Out of Anthony Press Conference
Critics, including Alexander, slammed his attendance as “inappropriate,” arguing it inflamed tensions.
Jeff’s clash with “Protect White Americans” protesters further divided opinions. On April 19, 2025, he confronted rally organizer Jake Lang over the phone, rejecting the group’s racial framing of Austin’s death. “You’re trying to create more race divide than bridging the gap,” Jeff declared, disavowing their use of his son’s image.
While some praised his stand against politicization, others, like Lang, accused him of “white guilt,” with one X post calling him “weak” for not endorsing the protest. Jeff’s actions have left him caught in a crossfire, with supporters lauding his restraint and detractors questioning his choices in a powder keg of grief and rage.
As the legal battle looms, with Anthony’s self-defense claim facing steep odds, Frisco searches for peace. “We must heal together, not divide further,” said Pastor John Reynolds, a local minister rallying for vigils. But with both families under siege and a town split by anger, that hope feels distant. The next court date looms, and Frisco holds its breath.
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