The news of 17‑year‑old Austin Metcalf’s death has sent shockwaves through his Texas hometown and beyond. A standout student and athlete at Frisco Memorial High School, Austin was known for his boundless energy, unwavering faith and love of football. On April 2, during a track and field meet at Kuykendall Stadium, what should have been an afternoon of school spirit turned into a nightmare no one could have imagined.
Austin and his twin brother, Hunter, were standing in their team’s tent when Austin politely asked another student, 17‑year‑old Karmelo Anthony, to move aside. According to police reports, Anthony refused and challenged Austin to make him leave. In a matter of heart‑stopping seconds, Anthony pulled a knife from his backpack and stabbed Austin in the chest. The blow was swift, devastating and fatal.
Hunter cradled his brother in his arms, pressing his hands against the wound as he called for help. Their father, Jeff Metcalf, later described the frantic hospital dash: “I could see all the blood, I saw where the wound was. We prayed, but they weren’t able to save him.” In his grief, Jeff called it what it was: murder.
In the days since, social media has overflowed with tributes to a young man whose final post on X, shared just two days before the tragedy, now feels eerily prophetic: “Faith that god got me ❤️ and my work will pay off.” Friends, teammates and strangers alike have echoed those words in comments filled with sorrow and hope—prayers for strength, assurances that Austin’s spirit lives on.
Karmelo Anthony, who attends a different local high school, was arrested and charged with first‑degree murder. Held on a $1 million bond in Collin County Jail, he faces the weight of a community’s grief and a family’s loss. His father insists his son is being misjudged, but for the Metcalfs there are no easy answers.
Jeff remembers Austin as a natural leader whose smile could light up any room. A GoFundMe set up in his honor paints a portrait of a teenager admired by coaches, friends and neighbors for his kindness and drive. Now the same stadium where Austin cheered on his classmates is a place of collective heartbreak—a reminder of how quickly joy can be replaced by tragedy.
As the legal process unfolds, Frisco mourns not only a gifted athlete but a boy with dreams still unfulfilled. The pain of his absence is matched only by the love he inspired. Rest in peace, Austin Metcalf—you will not be forgotten.
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