A track meet that began as a fun and innocent event between Texas high schools took a violent and senseless turn on Wednesday when a student stabbed a fellow student after a fight over a bench in the stands. Austin Metcalf, a football standout, attended the meet. He sat in the stands. Karmelo Anthony (17 years old) was told that he was seated in the wrong section of the stands. This led to a fight. Anthony brandished a knife and stabbed Metcalf. Hunter, Metcalf’s twin brother, was there as well and tried to rescue his brother. He said, “I tried whipping around as fast I could. I only looked at my younger brother and I can’t talk about the rest. I tried to help him.”
Austin Metcalf died after being rushed to the local hospital. Jeff Metcalf called it what it was:
“I saw all the blood and the wound; I was concerned. I found his brother, and we rushed him to the hospital. We prayed, and I’m not sure why, but it was God’s will. This is murder.”
Karmelo Anthony has been arrested and charged with murder in the first degree. He is currently being held at the Collin County jail. Bail has not been set. The Metcalfs will rely heavily on their faith to survive the unimaginable tragedy of losing both a brother and a son. Jeff Metcalf said, “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.” But Jeff Metcalf is asking the questions about Karmelo Anthony and his family that, undoubtedly, a lot of other people are asking.
I’m not judging, but what kind of parents had this child? What was taught to him? He brought a blade to a race and killed my son by stabbing his heart. He was in the wrong spot, and when they asked him to move, he became aggressive and angry. This is murder.”
Austin Metcalf had a bright future; he was a student with a 4.0 GPA, was named the Most Valuable player, and was a star linebacker. He received offers to play at Division III colleges, even though it was his junior year. Jeff Metcalf has a point: Where were the parents of this child? Did he have any experience with conflict resolution? We are talking about the second generation of children who have been raised on video games. When you win a game and “kill” the opponent, it says “game over”, and everyone is alive for the next round. The Metcalf family knows too well that this is not what happens in real life.
It is easy to understand why the mainstream media will not cover this story. The story doesn’t match the narrative. No public outrage will occur, no protests or marches. There won’t be any calls for justice. The media won’t cover it. The Metcalfs don’t want to speculate about a possible racial or political reason for the incident. A prayer vigil will take place at the church of the Metcalfs on Wednesday night
The school officials will probably be investigating how Anthony managed to get the knife in the track meet. In Texas, if convicted, he may face life in prison. Another life is lost due to a poor decision. Jeff Metcalf stated that his son was:
“He was an intelligent young man who had a bright future ahead of himself. He was a man of leadership. His smile could light up a room. His love for football was unimaginable. We will remember him as a man who made a difference in other people’s lives.”