Things are not going well for Karmelo Anthony compared to a couple months ago. Despite confessing to the stabbing that led to the death of athlete Austin Metcalf at a track event on April 2, 2025 in Frisco, Texas, Anthony was given greatly reduced bail and allowed to remain under house arrest by a progressive activist judge.
Anthony's family posted a public fundraiser on GiveSendGo which ultimately raised over $500,000 for legal expenses. Many of the donations included racially charged messages calling for Karmelo to be "protected" regardless of his crime simply because he is black and his victim was white. The stabbing has been represented as an act of self defense, but also as "payback" against white people.
The call for donations was then amended to include money needed for "relocation" (a new home) after the family claimed they received threats. Karmelo was allowed by Texas courts to leave the state for an "undisclosed location" until his trial, a highly unusual accommodation. Furthermore, the Anthony's have engaged in a press bonanza which has turned the case into a circus.
The family continues to assert that the stabbing of Austin Metcalf was an act of self defense, but video evidence might suggest otherwise.
Reporters have been allowed to view footage taken of the incident (footage that will not be released to the public) and there are no reports of Metcalf attacking Anthony. Though accounts of the video are vague, there appears to be no evidence so far that Anthony was acting in self defense. Not long after reporters were allowed to see the video, a Grand Jury issued an indictment for Karmelo Anthony. The charge is murder.
The Anthony's are now asking donors for even more money, to the tune of $1.4 million.
The outcome should not be surprising given the known facts of the incident. Anthony admits to stabbing Metcalf. He admits to bring deadly weapon to a school track meet. He admits to invading the tent of another team and witnesses say that he refused to leave when asked. There is no report of Austin Metcalf having a weapon when he was stabbed by Anthony and deadly force cannot be legally used against another person unless a defender has a reasonable fear of mortal harm.
Anthony and his family have exhibited no signs of remorse over the death of Metcalf. In fact, they have leaned into the racial undertones of the case. Dominique Alexander, founder and president of the Next Generation Action Network (NGAN) who has been representing the Anthony family in public, warned:
"To the racists, the bigots, and those filled with hate who’ve targeted Karmelo, his family, and even myself – you do not intimidate us. We are not backing down."
"This case is yet another example of what it means to be Black in America, where even our self-defense is questioned, scrutinized and politicized. My involvement – like many others — came as a direct response to the overwhelming hate, threats and outside influence that have surrounded this case since day one."
He then asked Anthony's supporters for prayers, to support due process, and to "stand with us in the fight against white supremacy."
The Anthony case is yet another reminder of progressive efforts to paint every minority criminal incident as a product of "racial inequality". Taking responsibility is absolutely out of the question, even in clear cut incidents of theft, rape, violence and murder. American society can no longer play the equity blame game in which minority criminals are given special treatment because of supposed historical grievances.
When people are not punished for their trespasses, it inspires others to do the same under the assumption they will be able to get away with it. When an entire minority group thinks they can get away with criminal actions under the guise of social reparations or racial "revenge", then the danger of civil breakdown become very real.
It's not just about minority criminal being emboldened, there is also the danger that the rest of society will take matters into their own hands to exact justice where they believe the court system will not.
