By the early hours of 5 a.m., eager crowds begin to gather outside a courthouse in Texas, all vying for the limited public seats available in what many are dubbing the ‘OJ Simpson trial 2.0.’
Amid the anticipation, tensions have flared, leading to altercations as individuals allegedly jump the queue.
Ensuring order and security, sheriff’s deputies sporting cowboy hats and armed with AR-15 rifles stand vigilant outside the 296th Judicial District Court located at the Collin County Courthouse in McKinney, a prosperous suburb north of Dallas.
These striking scenes mark the opening week of testimony in the State of Texas vs. Karmelo Anthony trial. Anthony, an African American teenager, is charged with the fatal stabbing of Austin Metcalf, a white student-athlete, during a clash at a high school track event in April 2025.
Anthony has acknowledged the stabbing but maintains that he acted in self-defense.
The case has already become unprecedented by Dallas – and even national – standards.
During what’s expected to be a two-week trial, the 19-year-old defendant and his family are being bussed into court through a secure entrance at the rear of the building.
The murder trial for Karmelo Anthony (right)Â is set to start June 1. Anthony is on trial for murder in the fatal stabbing of Austin Metcalf (left) at a high school track meet in Frisco, Texas in April 2025. Anthony has pleaded not guilty
The video of the stabbing, reviewed by the Daily Mail, was captured from a camera next to the press box (position above)
So too are the loved ones of Metcalf, the 6’1″, 213-pound football captain and track thrower who died after the confrontation.
Both families have been subjected to racist abuse, threats to their safety and lives, and a torrent of online speculation and misinformation.
Due to intense media and public interest, the court hand selected nine news outlets to attend the trial, including the Daily Mail.
With only about 70 seats in the courtroom, the select members of the public who are allowed in are given a different color badge every day to control who gets into the courtroom.
But even with a badge, people must pass through security at the entrance of the courthouse and a second set of metal detectors where cops hand-search every bag at the door of the courtroom.
People have been lining up every day, some three or four hours before the court opens at 8am, in hopes of getting in.
Some who haven’t been given access have gone to great lengths to buy their way in.
On Thursday, a woman was offering cash in exchange for a court badge in the women’s restroom on the second floor where the trial is taking place.
If found guilty of the first-degree murder charge, Anthony faces five to 99 years in prison.
Karmelo Anthony is released from jail after getting his bond lowered in a controversial move by a judge in Collin County, Texas
People have been lining up since 5 am every day since the Karmelo Anthony trial started in hopes of getting one of the coveted and limited seats in restricted courtroom
The Karmelo Anthony trial has also drawn many protestors, both those in favor and against murder suspect Karmelo Anthony
On Friday, six different teenagers who were at the stadium and witnessed the stabbing said that during a rain delay at the district-wide track event, Anthony, a student at Centennial High, made his way over to the Memorial High School tent.
The boys began arguing over Anthony being in the tent and Anthony pulled a knife from his bag, driving it through Metcalf’s chest before the victim had even laid hands on him, according to their testimony.
Metcalf died in the stadium, with his twin brother watching coaches and medical staff desperately trying to save him.
Despite prosecutors declaring in opening arguments ‘this case has nothing to do with race’, race has been a factor in almost every aspect of the case.
Jury selection began Monday with nearly 600 Collin County residents who might decide Anthony’s fate. In a normal murder trial, only 80 people might get jury summons, according to local court experts.
Race clearly was an issue for possible jurors, including one black man who stood up and declared, ‘I don’t know that I could put a brother in jail.’
He was sent home.
As lawyers neared picking the final 12 members of the jury plus six alternates Wednesday, controversy erupted when three potential jurors who were black were eliminated from the jury pool by prosecutors because they were educators, and the crime centered around a local school.
Criticism poured in from the black community, who predicted Anthony would not get a fair verdict from an ‘all white jury.’
Austin Metcalf, 17, (pictured) was bleeding in his brother’s arms as paramedics headed to the trackÂ
Police investigate the scene under the tent where the stabbing took place on April 2, 2025. Anthony says he stabbed Metcalf in self defense after a clash over seats in the bleachersÂ
However, the jury is far from all white.
By the Daily Mail’s count, of the 18 jurors and alternates, 10 are white.
The rest are Asian, Hispanic, Indian or Middle Eastern.
Anthony supporters protesting outside of the courthouse were asked if they would accept a guilty verdict for Anthony if evidence shows he did not kill Metcalf in self defense.
‘We’re going to stand by ours regardless. They stand by theirs,’ one woman told Frontlines.
The racial tensions have fueled endless – often ugly – online debate.
Many compared the trial to the OJ Simpson trial in its scale, intense media interest and the racial tensions that have come to surround it.Â
In the first few days, jurors saw the murder weapon – a folding knife with a black blade and gray handle still covered with blood and bone fragments from Metcalf, just 16 at the time of his death.
Jurors also watched surveillance footage, showing both Austin and Hunter Metcalf walking into the stadium alive. Anthony was then seen being escorted out in handcuffs by police.
The court was also shown police bodycam footage of the chaotic aftermath.
Metcalf’s parents broke down in tears as they watched paramedics perform CPR on their son after he suffered the fatal chest wound.
Anthony looked uncomfortable as the footage was played.
Metcalf’s twin brother, Hunter, could be heard inconsolably shouting, ‘Oh my God. He’s my best friend. He’s my brother!’
Another shocking moment came on Saturday when jurors were shown a photo of the ‘gaping’ two-inch stab wound that ‘completely went through the heart wall’ of the young linebacker.
Video of the violent confrontation reviewed by the Daily Mail shows students carrying a gravely wounded Metcalf down the stairs of the bleachers so he could be treated
Metcalf was stabbed on the visitor’s side of the field at David Kuykendall Stadium. The camera was on the opposite side of the fieldÂ
A female juror was seen covering her mouth as they were shown the most graphic of the autopsy photos.
Anthony looked at his lap while attorneys showed Metcalf’s autopsy photos.
Already, testimony has dispelled rumors and fake online narratives that people have believed for more than a year since the killing took place.
One rumor that had persisted was that Anthony had skipped school the day of the stabbing and wasn’t even competing in the track meet.
Like so many high profile murder cases in the social media age – the Bryan Kohberger murders in Idaho come to mind – conspiracy theories about this case have proliferated online.
‘There are a lot of people that are going to come in here that don’t want to hear the truth,’ Dominique Alexander, a Black activist who is advising the Anthony family, told Daily Mail of the many rumors that have dogged the young suspect.
On the other side, Metcalf’s twin brother Hunter had been accused of ‘bullying’ and ‘ganging’ up on Anthony the day of the stabbing alongside Austin.
On Friday, six different teenagers who were at the track meet testified that Hunter was not involved in the altercation between Austin and Anthony at all.
In a potential blow to Anthony’s self defense claim, six teens who were at the stadium and witnessed the stabbing testified that Anthony had a knife ready and stabbed Metcalf either before or as Metcalf was pushing him.
All testified that Karmelo Anthony was asked to leave the Memorial team tent and provoked Metcalf.
‘I’m not going to fight you at a track meet, dude,’ Austin told Karmelo, according to teen #3.
Another youngster added that Anthony told Metcalf, ‘Touch me and see what happens.’
A courtroom sketch shows the district attorney pointing at Karmelo Anthony, center, at the defense table in opening arguments Thursday, June 4, 2026, in McKinney, Texas, during the trial of a teen accused of fatally stabbing another during a track meet in suburban Dallas last year. (Pat Lopez via AP)
Karmelo Anthony attended Centennial High School in Frisco, Texas at the time of the fatal stabbing. He was scheduled to compete at several events the day he stabbed Austin Metcalf
The Frisco Police Department released the jail booking photo of Karmelo Anthony, when he was taken into custody on a murder charge in April 2025
Under cross examination, one teenage boy, who cannot be named because he’s a minor, was asked to show the jury how Metcalf made the verbal argument between himself and Anthony physical when Metcalf shoved Anthony.
The boy and a defense attorney stood up to role play the shove in front of the jury.
The teen stated Karmelo was sitting on a bleacher with his hands in his backpack as he argued with Metcalf.
When Metcalf, who was standing, moved closer to push Anthony, Anthony pulled the knife from his backpack and drove it into Austin’s chest.
‘He (Metcalf) didn’t get the chance to grab hold of him (Anthony.) He was already stabbed,’ the fourth teen stated.
But before anyone makes up their minds, the Anthony family’s spokesperson, Dominique Alexander, teased there would be many more bombshells when Anthony’s team gets its turn to tell his story.
‘One of the things that the defense is going to come out with is showing that there were other kids from other schools that were under the tent,’ said Alexander.
Alexander added he feels confident things will work out for Anthony.
The trial continues this week.