Heart-wrenching new testimonies have emerged, offering a deeper understanding of the tragic final moments of Austin Metcalf, a 17-year-old Texas high school athlete, who was fatally stabbed during a packed track meet in April 2025.
On Saturday, during the widely-followed trial, an emotional scene unfolded as an 18-year-old recent graduate from Memorial High School tearfully described the pandemonium that ensued after the attack. He recounted hearing Metcalf “crying out for help” amidst the chaos.
Another witness, a 16-year-old student from Memorial High’s class of 2027, testified that shortly after the incident, Metcalf’s haunting words were, “he f—— stabbed me.”
A courtroom sketch illustrates Karmelo Anthony alongside his defense team, as jurors examine surveillance footage during his trial for the murder of Austin Metcalf at the Frisco, Texas, track meet. (Pat Lopez)
These poignant narratives add to previous testimonies, which included another student’s account of Metcalf exclaiming, “Oh my God,” as the grim reality of his situation became apparent.
Karmelo Anthony, 19, faces a first-degree murder charge for the death of Metcalf, who was unable to be resuscitated by high school staff who attempted CPR as he lost consciousness. He later died at a local hospital.
Anthony has pleaded not guilty to the charge, with his defense team maintaining that he acted in a “split second of fear and chaos” and stabbed Metcalf in self-defense, News Media previously reported.
According to background details presented by prosecutors, the deadly encounter was sparked by a dispute over seating at the track meet.Â
Multiple witnesses testified that Anthony arrived uninvited and sat down inside the Memorial High School team tent. Fellow students reportedly asked Anthony to leave the tent as many as 15 times, but he allegedly refused.
Demonstrators show support for Austin Metcalf outside the Collin County Courthouse in McKinney, Texas, on the first day of jury selection in Karmelo Anthony’s trial on June 1, 2026. (Derek Shook for News Media)
As the situation escalated, witnesses testified that Anthony warned Metcalf, telling him, “Touch me and find out,” and “Touch me, see what happens.”
During the confrontation, Anthony sat with a backpack on his lap and one hand inside it, leading some students to warn Metcalf not to touch him because they suspected he was gripping a concealed weapon.
The verbal dispute turned physical when Metcalf reportedly shoved or touched Anthony, prompting Anthony to stand up and stab the high school captain with a 3.5-inch folding knife.
Witnesses on Saturday described Anthony as “the aggressor,” noting Metcalf was “unwilling to fight.”
A courtroom sketch shows prosecutors delivering opening statements in the murder trial of Karmelo Anthony at the Collin County courthouse in McKinney, Texas. (Pat Lopez)
Body-camera footage and officer testimony revealed that a cooperative Anthony made admissions to police immediately following the incident.Â
“I’m not alleged. I did it,” Anthony allegedly told a responding school resource officer.
He then repeatedly defended his actions to the police, saying, “He put his hands on me. I told him not to.”
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