Donations are pouring in for both sides of a heartbreaking tragedy that left 17-year-old Austin Metcalf dead in his twin brother’s arms and another teen behind bars accused of murder.
A GoFundMe set up for Metcalf, a Texas high school football standout fatally stabbed during a track meet last week, has raised just shy of $250,000 (as of this writing).
Meanwhile, a separate fundraiser for the accused killer, Karmelo Anthony, also 17, has topped $65,000 as of Sunday (April 6) – despite the teen facing a first-degree murder charge.
The donations campaign for Anthony was launched on GiveSendGo, a site that also previously hosted a legal defense fundraiser for Daniel Penny, the man charged in the NYC subway chokehold death.
“The narrative being spread is false, unjust, and harmful,” the campaign states, asserting Anthony acted in self-defense. “As a family of faith, we are deeply grateful for all of your support during this trying period. Your prayers and assistance mean more to us now more than ever.”
The campaign had collected more than $66,000 from around 1,600 donors by Sunday morning.
Many commenters claimed Anthony had been bullied before the deadly encounter, with one writing: “I’m praying for you Kamelo. It’s ok to defend yourself from bullying,” and another posting, “This baby was bullied and was defending himself, I know it’s more to this story. I’m praying for you and your family.”
According to the arrest affidavit obtained by NBC DFW, the tragic incident unfolded last Wednesday (April 2) after Metcalf – who had reportedly never met Anthony before – asked him to move from his track team’s tent.
Witnesses say Anthony refused and warned, “Touch me and see what happens.” When Metcalf grabbed him to move him, police say Anthony unzipped a bag, pulled out a black knife, and stabbed the junior linebacker once in the chest.
The blade pierced Austin’s heart, and he died in the arms of his identical twin brother, Hunter, before he could be saved.
“I put my hand on [his chest], tried to make [the bleeding] stop, and I grabbed his head and I looked in his eyes. I just saw his soul leave. And it took my soul, too,” Hunter shared during an emotional interview on Fox News.
Their father, Jeff, arrived at the scene to find his son covered in blood with a severe chest wound. At the hospital, he shared a final, quiet goodbye – gently kissing Austin’s forehead and running his fingers through his hair.
Anthony was arrested at the scene and allegedly confessed, telling police, “I’m not alleged, I did it.” He also told officers: “I was protecting myself. He put his hands on me.”
Despite the charges, Anthony’s father defended his son to The New York Post, saying the teen was a hardworking student with a 3.7 GPA who held two jobs.
“He’s a good kid,” the elder Anthony said. “He was not the aggressor. He was not the one who started it. I feel bad for the other parents and family, and words can’t explain how both [families] have been affected by this tragedy.”
The accused teen’s attorney, Deric Walpole, is now seeking to have his client’s $1 million bond reduced, arguing the teen possibly acted in self-defense.
“I know that my client said it was self-defense,” he said, per the outlet. “I don’t have any reason to disbelieve that, but I need to develop facts, talk to people, and figure out what’s going on before I make any statements about what I think happened.”
“I don’t have any reason to think it wasn’t self defense at this time,” he added.
