On Wednesday, 17-year-old high school athlete Austin Metcalf was fatally stabbed at a track event at Kuykendall Stadium, in the northern Frisco suburb of Dallas, Texas, according to local authorities.
Newsweek contacted the Frisco Police Department for comment via telephone on Thursday outside of regular office hours.
What To Know
In a statement posted on X, formerly Twitter, the Frisco Police Department said they were called to an incident “at a track meet in the 6900 block of Stadium Lane” at around 10 a.m. on Wednesday, after “an altercation between two students resulted in one stabbing the other.”
First responders performed CPR and administered blood but Metcalf died of his injuries. Initially, the Frisco Police Department said Metcalf was 16 years old, but they later clarified he was 17.
The statement continued: “The suspect, identified as 17-year-old Karmelo Anthony of Frisco, is in custody and there is no further threat to the public. He has been charged with Murder, a 1st Degree Felony. No bond has been set at this time.”
Metcalf was a student at Frisco’s Memorial High School where he was a gifted athlete. His profile on Hudl, a sport website, says he was six feet tall, weighed 225 pounds and was part of the class of 2026.
Austin Metcalf was stabbed to death at a track event on Wednesday aged 17. Austin Metcalf was stabbed to death at a track event on Wednesday aged 17. Twitter/X
Speaking to local network NBC 5, Jeff Metcalf, the victim’s father, said he was MVP (most valued player) of the football team and had been planning to go to college.
The father said the altercation between the two teenagers, who did not know each other, began after Metcalf told Anthony he was sitting in the wrong area, sparking an angry response.
Describing his son, Jeff Metcalf said: “He was on the right track. He was loved by many. He was a leader.”
Jeff added Austin’s twin brother, Hunter, saw the stabbing take place and attempted to stop the bleeding.
He said: “They were twins, identical twins, and his brother was holding on to him, trying to make it stop bleeding, and he died in his brother’s arms. I rushed up there and I saw him on the gurney and I could tell—they said he wasn’t breathing.”
As of 3:40 a.m. ET on Thursday, a fundraiser setup on GoFundMe “in memory of Austin Metcalf,” who it described as “a sweet, young, athlete who was tragically killed” had raised $15,306 out of a $20,000 target “to help support his mother Meghan and twin brother Hunter.”
On his Facebook page, Jeff Metcalf, a realtor, described himself as a “single dad who loves his sons more than anything.”
What People Are Saying
In a Facebook statement, Jeff Metcalf wrote: “As many of you know already, my son Austin was stabbed to death at a school track meet. This tragedy has shaken me, family, and friends to the core. I trust God will bring us through the tuff times ahead. I appreciate everyone who has reached out. He passed away in his brother’s arms. He wasn’t alone at least. I cant describe the range of emotions i am feeling. I pray god will guide our paths moving forward.”
Speaking to NBC 5, he added: “I’m not trying to judge, but what kind of parents did this child have? What was he taught? He brought a knife to a track meet and he murdered my son by stabbing him in the heart. The guy was in the wrong place and they asked him to move and he bowed up. This is murder.”
What Happens Next
Police have charged Karmelo Anthony with first degree murder, with no bond set. A trial is expected to follow in due course.
Who Is Karmelo Anthony? Texas School Stabbing Suspect
According to Anthony’s Kudl profile, he is a student at Centennial High School where he played for the Titans Varsity football team. He is listed as five feet 11 inches, 160 pounds and as part of the class of 2025. The biography on his profile states: “GOD has shown you the right path just take it.”
