A teenager who admitted to stabbing high school student Austin Metcalf during a fight at a track meet told police he acted in self-defense. “I’m not denying it — I did it,” said the 17-year-old. Even though witnesses say otherwise, he claims he was protecting himself when he stabbed Austin in the chest.
On April 2, around 10 a.m., Hunter Metcalf was with his twin brother, Austin Metcalf, a top athlete who was competing in discus and shot put at a track meet at David Kuykendall Stadium in Frisco, Texas.
“We did everything together. No matter what it was, it was always the two of us,” said Hunter, adding that Austin, born four minutes earlier, was like his other half.
The two 17-year-olds, both juniors at Memorial High School near Dallas, were sitting in their school’s tent at a track competition when a student from another school — named Karmelo Anthony — came into the tent.
“This kid was sitting under our tent at the track meet. We asked him to leave, but he got angry and started saying rude things. My brother told him, ‘You need to move,’” Hunter told WFAA in an emotional interview. “And the kid said, ‘Make me move.’”
‘I tried to help him’
Then Karmelo reportedly pulled a knife from his backpack and stabbed Austin in the chest before running away.
“I turned around as fast as I could. I didn’t see the actual stabbing, but then I looked at my brother… and I don’t want to talk about the rest. I tried to help him,” Hunter said through tears, adding that he tried to stop the bleeding and save Austin’s life.
“I tried to help him.”
He held onto his twin brother until emergency workers got there and tried to save him.
“They pulled me away from him,” Hunter said, explaining that he didn’t want to let go.
In an interview with NBC, the twins’ dad, Jeff Metcalf, spoke about the heartbreaking moment. “They were identical twins, and his brother was holding him, trying to stop the bleeding,” he said.
Even though emergency workers tried to help, Austin “died in his brother’s arms,” Jeff added.
“I was there for his last moments… he knew I loved him so much,” Hunter said. “I don’t understand why someone would do this over such a small argument.” He also shared that he had never met Karmelo before that short “30-second” fight that ended in his brother’s death.
‘I did it’
According to witnesses, Karmelo — a 17-year-old student-athlete from Centennial High School — told Austin, “Touch me and see what happens.”
One witness said that before Karmelo pulled a black knife from his backpack, Austin had told him to move and grabbed him. Then Karmelo allegedly stabbed Austin in the chest and ran off, throwing the knife, which was later found in the stands.
After that, Austin clutched his chest as his brother held him tightly.
According to ABC, police said over 30 people — including students and coaches — saw the stabbing happen.
‘Protecting myself’
When police got there, ABC says Karmelo told them, “I was protecting myself.”
As officers walked him off the track, he said Austin had “put his hands on him,” and asked if what he did could count as self-defense.
He later said clearly, “I’m not alleged, I did it.” While sitting in the police car, crying a lot, an officer noticed fresh blood on Karmelo’s left middle finger.
The police report says Karmelo seemed to feel some regret and asked if Austin was “going to be OK.”**Buried a dagger** At the same time, Karmelo’s family is speaking out, saying he was being bullied.
In a Facebook post that’s getting a lot of attention, Kevin Hayes wrote, “He’s a 4.0 student, a football team captain, a leader, a protector, and a role model.
He works hard, stays out of trouble, and shows respect. But now he’s in jail. Not because he wanted to start a fight, but because he didn’t want to be a victim.
“They ganged up on him. He was outnumbered and attacked — he fought to survive. Now, instead of calling it self-defense, the system is treating him like the bad guy.
The real bully is gone, but Karmelo is the one paying the price,” Hayes wrote in the post, which has sparked mixed reactions online.
Here’s a simpler version of that section:
One person commented, “This guy killed someone. Sure, he was doing well before, but that doesn’t matter now — a young man is dead. It’s sad and embarrassing how careless people are these days.”
Another asked, “Why did he even have a knife? If he felt unsafe because of bullies, did he tell the school, the police at the event, or his parents? No one needed to die!”
Someone else added, “You don’t stab someone in the chest in front of a crowd and still call yourself a good person.”
Some people believe Karmelo was defending himself. One person said, “We think he was trying to protect himself, and someone sadly died during the fight.” Another said, “We want Karmelo to know he has people who support him all the way.”
Karmelo Anthony, from Frisco, Texas, is now charged with first-degree murder. His bail is set at $1,000,000.
What do you think about this heartbreaking situation? As many people online have said, violence isn’t the right way to deal with conflict.
Please share your opinion and pass this story along to hear from others too.
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