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Dad of teen accused of fatally stabbing Texas football rival defends son: ‘He was not the aggressor’

April 4, 2025 | | Print Article

The tragic murder of a Texas high school football star took another troubling turn when the father of the 17-year-old arrested for the crime defended his son.

Karmelo Anthony, 17, was arrested Wednesday after allegedly stabbing 17-year-old Austin Metcalf in the chest at a track meet. The horrific attack took place after Metcalf was told that he was sitting in the wrong seat, according to various reports.

Metcalf died in the arms of his twin brother, who was desperately trying to stop the bleeding. Hunter Metcalf rushed to his brother after he was stabbed.

Andrew Anthony insisted his son was a “good kid” in an interview with the New York Post.

“Everyone has already made their assumptions about my son, but he’s not what they’re making him out to be,”  the senior Anthony said. “He’s a good kid. He works two jobs. He’s an A student, has a 3.7 GPA.”

“He was not the aggressor. He was not the one who started it,” the father insisted, adding that his son’s action was a heat-of-the-moment mistake that affected both families.

“I feel bad for the other parents and family, and words can’t explain how both [families] have been affected by this tragedy,” Anthony said.

Hunter Metcalf had a very different take on Karmelo Anthony’s actions.

“We asked him to move and he started getting aggressive and talking reckless. And my brother stepped in and said, ‘You need to move.’ [Karmelo] was like, ‘Make me move,’ and also grabbed his backpack.”

Austin’s father, Jeff Metcalf, arrived at the scene after getting a call from Hunter, and he was clear that his son’s death was “a murder.”

“I could see all the blood, and I saw where the wound was, and I was very concerned, so I had to find his brother, and we rushed to the hospital. And we prayed, and it’s God’s plan, I don’t understand it, but they weren’t able to save him. This is murder,” the grieving father told NBC Dallas-Fort Worth.

Social media users had strong feelings about the case. Here’s a quick sampling of some of the responses — Caution: Strong Language.

Tom Tillison
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