April 2, 2025Student stabbed at track meet
David Kuykendall Stadium’s stand is seen, Wednesday, April 2, 2025, in Frisco. Chitose Suzuki/Staff Photographer
Officers were dispatched about 10 a.m. on April 2, 2025, to the David Kuykendall Stadium in Frisco, where the District 11-5A track meet was taking place.
Austin Metcalf, 17, died of his injuries, school district officials confirmed in an email sent to parents. The email said Austin was an 11th grader at Memorial High School in Frisco who participated in both track and football.
Karmelo Anthony, then 17, was arrested the same day.
April 3, 2025Austin Metcalf remembered by family
Hunter Metcalf (left), is comforted by his father Jeff, while talking about his deceased twin brother, Austin Metcalf, 17, on Thursday, April 3, 2025, at his home in Frisco. Shafkat Anowar/Staff Photographer
In an interview at their Frisco home, Austin’s father, Jeff Metcalf, and twin brother, Hunter Metcalf, said Austin was not only an all-district linebacker and the team’s MVP, but a member of the National Honor Society with a 4.0 GPA. Jeff said coaches were already extending offers to play college ball.
“This was going to be his year,” he said.
Jeff said then that he felt for the family of the alleged assailant, because “his life is over, his family will be devastated also.”
April 4, 2025Arrest warrant obtained
Schools meet for the final day of the District 11-5A track meet at Lobo Stadium in Little Elm on Monday, April 7, 2025. The meet was suspended Wednesday when Frisco Memorial junior Austin Metcalf was fatally stabbed by a student from another school on the first day of the meet. Juan Figueroa/Staff Photographer
Karmelo Anthony’s arrest warrant revealed the teen said the stabbing was an act of self-defense.
Witnesses told police Austin had grabbed Karmelo to tell him to move out from his assigned tent when Karmelo pulled out a knife, stabbed Austin once in the chest and ran. Another witness told police Austin shoved Karmelo before he was stabbed.
As an officer approached Karmelo, he said, “I was defending myself,” and, “He put his hands on me,” according to the report.
April 14, 2025Bond hearing leads to release
Greg Willis, the Collin County District Attorney, speaks to reporters following a bond hearing in Karmelo Anthony’s case at the Collin County Courthouse in McKinney on Monday, April 14, 2025. Juan Figueroa/Staff Photographer
Karmelo was released from jail on April 14, 2025, after his bond was significantly lowered from $1 million to $250,000.
He was put on house arrest with an ankle monitor and only permitted to leave home with a judge’s permission — namely trips to his attorney’s office and meetings in court. He was also required to be with an adult at all times.
Swatting at Metcalf home
Jeff Metcalf, the father of Austin Metcalf, stands silently before a news conference at which the parents of Karmelo Anthony were scheduled to speak, Thursday, April 17, 2025, at a co-working space in Dallas, Texas. Jeffrey McWhorter/Special Contributor
Later that same day, one of several swatting calls was reported at an address linked to the Metcalf family. Frisco police said it was a gunshot report that turned out to be false.
The Department of Homeland Security defines swatting as the act of making “malicious hoax calls” to authorities to draw a significant police response – often heavily-armed SWAT teams – to the target.
April 19, 2025Rally turns tense
Jake Lang, (left) founder of the group Protect White Americans, and who was accused of taking part in the 2021 Capitol riot, holds a conversation with community organizer Bruce Carter infront of the members of the media during a protest held by the group Protect White Americans, on Saturday, April 19, 2025, at David Kuykendall Stadium in Frisco. Shafkat Anowar/Staff Photographer
Jake Lang, founder of Protect White Americans, traveled from Florida to hold a rally on April 19, 2025, outside David Kuykendall Stadium.
A community organizer called Jeff Metcalf from the parking lot and put him on speaker phone with Lang, who said Austin Metcalf was now a symbol of a “violent Black culture” being perpetrated against “white America.”
“You’re trying to create more race divide than bridging the gap,” Jeff Metcalf said. “I don’t condone anything you do.”
May 14, 2025Graduation rumors cause uproar
Dominique Alexander, president of Next Generation Action Network, speaks during a news conference about the upcoming murder trial of Karmelo Anthony on Thursday, May 14, 2026, in Dallas. Elías Valverde II/Staff Photographer
After uproar on social media, including an online petition, the Next Generation Action Network confirmed Karmelo would receive his diploma and graduate from Frisco Centennial High School, but would not participate in the graduation ceremony.
June 24, 2025Karmelo indicted
Security works an entrance to the stadium during the final day of the District 11-5A track meet at Lobo Stadium in Little Elm on Monday, April 7, 2025. The meet was suspended the previous week when Frisco Memorial junior Austin Metcalf was fatally stabbed by a student. Juan Figueroa/Staff Photographer
Karmelo was indicted on a murder charge on June 24, 2025, an update his lawyer Mike Howard called “an expected and routine step in the legal process.”
“Please remember that there are real human beings – kids – on both sides of this case,” Howard said. “We ask that everyone do as the law requires and withhold judgement until all the evidence can be heard in court.”
May 14, 2026Strict trial rules
Judge John R. Roach, Jr., of the 296th District Court in McKinney in his chambers at the Collin County Courthouse in McKinney, Aug. 01, 2018. Ben Torres/Special Contributor
In anticipation of Karmelo’s June 1 trial, state District Judge John Roach Jr. set strict rules for the proceedings.
In addition to issuing a gag order that prevents anyone associated with the prosecution and defense from speaking about the case publicly, the judge also declared that gestures, facial expressions or other reactions to testimony or court rulings will not be permitted. There can also be no clothing or signs displaying messages, logos, symbols or images related to the case or that are considered to be distracting or potentially prejudicial.