The father and twin brother of Austin Metcalf, the 17-year-old Memorial High School junior fatally stabbed at a Frisco ISD track on Wednesday, are speaking publicly for the first time since the tragedy.
“He died in his brother’s arms,” Jeff Metcalf, Austin’s father, told NBC 5 DFW on Thursday. “Right there on the track where he was just trying to compete. It doesn’t make sense. None of this does.”
The fatal incident unfolded around 10 a.m. at Kuykendall Stadium during the UIL District 11-5A track championship. Police said that an argument broke out between students from different high schools — Metcalf, from Memorial High, and the suspect, 17-year-old Karmelo Anthony, from Centennial High School, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
According to a newly released arrest affidavit, Anthony had been sitting under a different school’s tent when he was asked to move, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported. Witnesses told police that words were exchanged and tensions escalated. When Austin allegedly touched Anthony’s arm to guide him away from his school’s designated tent, Anthony responded by saying, “Touch me and see what happens.”
Moments later, Anthony reportedly pulled a black knife from his bag and stabbed Austin directly in the chest.
The single wound punctured Austin’s heart, and despite the immediate aid of medics and nearby school resource officers, he was later pronounced dead at the hospital.
Anthony, who remains in custody at the Collin County Jail on a $1 million bond, admitted to the stabbing and reportedly asked police on the scene if it could be considered self-defense.
“I’m not alleged. I did it,” he reportedly told one officer on the scene.
Hunter Metcalf, Austin’s identical twin and teammate, was present during the attack and tried to stop the bleeding to save his brother’s life. Friends told the media that the two were inseparable both on and off the field. Like many twins, they had an almost symbiotic connection, evident through their connection in sports. Hunter played wide receiver while Austin played quarterback during football season, and both brothers ran track.
Hunter Metcalf described his brother as a “peacemaker,” the one who “makes everything sail smoothly,” and who always took his side, “no matter what.”
“We did everything together — clean the dishes together, do yard work together, sports, you name it. … It was always us two doing one thing, so we’ve always just basically been one person, ” Hunter Metcalf said, per WFAA. “I had a blast playing sports with him my whole life.”
A GoFundMe was created by the Metcalf family to help cover funeral costs, medical bills, counseling, and other needs. As of Friday afternoon, more than $211,000 had been donated.
Parents and community members are raising questions about security protocols at Frisco ISD athletic events. As of the time of publication, neither the school district nor Frisco police responded to requests for clarification on whether student bags were searched or how many school security officers were present at the meet.
Classes paused at Memorial High School on Thursday morning during the second period for a moment of silence, with grief counselors on site for students, according to NBC DFW.
As for Anthony, he now faces a murder charge with a possible sentence of five to 99 years in prison if convicted, per state law.
“Everyone has already made their assumptions about my son, but he’s not what they’re making him out to be,” Andrew Anthony, the alleged attacker’s father, told the New York Post. “He was not the aggressor. He was not the one who started it.”
For the Metcalf family, no prison sentence can restore what they have lost.
“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,” Jeff Metcalf said, per NBC 5.
“The guy was in the wrong place, and they asked him to move, and he bowed up. This is murder,” he continued. “You know what, I already forgive this person. Already. God takes care of things. God is going to take care of me. God is going to take care of my family.”