Hours after a Collin County jury returned a guilty murder verdict against 19-year-old Karmelo Anthony in the fatal stabbing of 17-year-old Austin Metcalf, emotions outside the courthouse in McKinney remained visible.
Independent journalist Nick Sortor posted a video after the verdict, with a caption reading, “Karmelo supporters are absolutely LOSING IT in the parking lot…Pray for Texas tonight.”
As deputies formed a protective line around the courthouse, tensions boiled over. One Anthony supporter reportedly shouted, “Y’ALL GONNA BURN IN HELL!” at the officers. Another video from Sortor shows members of the Black Panthers outside the courthouse saying, “This is War.”
The verdict, reached after roughly three hours of deliberation on Tuesday afternoon, followed a trial that centered on Texas self-defense law. Prosecutors successfully argued that Anthony provoked the confrontation under a tent at a Frisco ISD track meet in April 2025 and responded to Metcalf with unjustified deadly force. The single stab wound to Metcalf’s chest proved fatal despite heroic efforts by his twin brother Hunter and bystanders on the scene to save the teen.
Despite anger from Anthony’s camp, commentator and journalist Breanna Morello highlighted moments of faith and attempts at reconciliation. In a following video shared on X, Morello showed Christian preachers addressing crowds on both sides of the divide – supporters of Anthony as well as Metcalf’s family and friends. The preachers urged for unity and called on everyone, including Black Panthers present at the courthouse, to turn to Christ. “It’s not all negative outside the Collin County Courthouse,” Morello wrote.
Dominique Alexander, who states he is president of the Next Generation Action Network, later criticized the jury, calling the verdict unfair despite the overwhelming evidence. Alexander chose instead to focus on race, saying, “Black lives do not matter in Collin County.”
As the afternoon progressed outside the courthouse, police officers maintained a visible presence to prevent further escalation. No major incidents beyond the verbal confrontations were reported as of press time.
The trial captured national headlines as it played out in Collin County. The Dallas Express has followed the case closely from the start, previously reporting on the strength of the prosecution’s evidence – including testimony from more than 20 witnesses, video footage, and accounts from students on both sides that clearly showed Anthony as the one who escalated the situation.
Efforts by the defense to portray him as a smaller teen who feared for his safety were ultimately undermined by the weight of the testimony and the autopsy showing the severity of the injury to Metcalf’s heart.
Anthony did not testify.
With the guilty verdict in, attention turns to sentencing, where Anthony faces a range of 5 to 99 years or life in prison.
The Dallas Express will continue tracking developments, including potential appeals, victim impact statements at sentencing, and any further public responses from elected officials or community leaders.
