May 14, 2025
Anthony plans to claim self-defense for the Texas stabbing incident.
Karmelo Anthony’s family is sticking by the 17-year-old accused of stabbing another high schooler at a Texas track meet.
A representative for the family told News Nation about their current stance on the matter. The case has garnered national attention for Anthony’s identity as a Black teenager and his current claims of self-defense.
“I believe the Anthony family feels that, yes, Karmelo Anthony is innocent of this, and they are going to support Karmelo Anthony in this entire process and get him prepared,” Next Generation Action Network (NGAN) President Dominique Alexander told the platform on May 14.
Anthony was charged with the murder of 17-year-old Austin Metcalf during an altercation at a track meet in April. The teenager admitted to the crime when detained by law enforcement, but has maintained that he did so in self-defense.
Anthony was released from jail after his bond was decreased from $1 million to $250,000. He has remained under house arrest. The family has since raised over $500K in donations to help with his legal defense.
Despite allegations that the family was misappropriating the funds, Alexander also pushed back on those rumors.
“This fund was created to support their family, to help them relocate, to pay for legal expenses, and I could tell you those funds are being used properly,” he said.
However, Alexander also faced backlash for his comments comparing Anthony to Kyle Rittenhouse. Rittenhouse was acquitted of killing two protesters at a Black Lives Matter demonstration, successfully claiming self-defense.
Alexander doubled down on his controversial statement, saying that if Rittenhouse was able to plead self-defense, Anthony also has a right to his own claims for the stabbing.
“Whatever uproar it wants to create, Kyle Rittenhouse displayed, this was self-defense. And all my correlation is, is that if Kyle Rittenhouse said self-defense, Karmelo Anthony has the right to self-defense,” Alexander said.
The case continues to shake up the families’ local Texas community and the nation. Jeremy Metcalf, the father of the slain teen, showed up to a private media event unexpectedly. Alexander condemned Metcalf’s interruption at the event. He further stated that the situation remains too emotionally charged for the families to meet at this time.
“Some people online claim he came in peace,” wrote Alexander in a post to X. “But that doesn’t change the facts: he delayed a sensitive press event by more than 40 minutes, ignored repeated peaceful requests, and created a tense situation. This is a pending criminal case, and it was completely inappropriate for any interaction between the families to occur.”
Meanwhile, Anthony is preparing to graduate from Frisco High School through the advocacy of NGAN and Alexander.
“We are proud to share that Karmelo Anthony will graduate and receive his high school diploma and that his academic achievements will not be disrupted,” shared Minister Alexander. “This is a moment of dignity for Karmelo and a reminder of the power of advocacy done right.”
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