The Frisco, Texas community is grieving the tragic loss of 17-year-old Austin Metcalf, a promising student-athlete who was fatally stabbed during a high school track meet on April 2.
The heartbreaking incident occurred just after 10 a.m. at David Kuykendall Stadium, where Austin, a junior at Memorial High School, was competing in discus and shot-put events alongside his twin brother, Hunter.
“We did everything together,” Hunter told WFAA in an emotional interview. “You name anything in the world, it’s always us two. We were always basically one person.”
Hunter, born just four minutes after Austin, recalled that the two were resting in their school’s tent when another student—later identified as 17-year-old Karmelo Anthony from Centennial High School—sat under their tent uninvited.
According to Hunter, “We asked him to move. He started getting aggressive and talking reckless, and my brother stepped in and said, ‘You need to move.’ And he’s like, ‘Make me move.’”
Witnesses said Anthony responded by warning, “Touch me and see what happens.” He then allegedly reached into his backpack, pulled out a black knife, and stabbed Austin once in the chest before fleeing the scene.
“I tried to whip around as fast as I could,” Hunter recalled, visibly choking back tears. “I didn’t see the stab…but then I looked at my brother… I tried to help him.”
Hunter held his twin brother in his arms as he bled, desperately trying to stop the bleeding until first responders arrived.
“They yanked me off him,” he said. “They didn’t let me ride in the ambulance. I just wanted to be with him.”
Their father, Jeff Metcalf, rushed Hunter to the hospital. “They were twins—identical twins—and his brother was holding on to him, trying to make it stop bleeding. He died in his brother’s arms,” Jeff told NBC.
Jeff later described Austin as “a bright young man” whose “smile would light up the room.” On a GoFundMe page created in his memory, he added that Austin was “a leader of men,” and a beloved son and teammate.
Despite the efforts of emergency medical teams, Austin could not be saved. He was pronounced dead from the single stab wound to his chest.
“I saw him for his last moments,” Hunter said. “He knew how much I loved him. I always told him I want to be just like him… He was a big brother, even though we’re the same age.”
A standout linebacker on the football team, Austin’s absence will be felt both on and off the field. “He was a stud,” Hunter said. “We played sports together our whole life… This was our last year together. It’s really heartbreaking not to see him next season.”
Reflecting on the senselessness of the tragedy, Hunter added, “I don’t know why someone would do that over such a little argument.”
ABC News reported that after the stabbing, Karmelo Anthony discarded the knife in the bleachers and surrendered to authorities. While in the back of a squad car, he allegedly admitted, “I’m not alleged—I did it.”
He later asked police if Austin would survive and claimed he acted in self-defense.
Anthony, who resides in Frisco, has been charged with first-degree murder. His bond has been set at $1 million.
As the community reels from the shocking loss, tributes continue to pour in for Austin Metcalf—a vibrant young man remembered for his heart, strength, and the unbreakable bond he shared with his brother.
May he rest in peace.
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