The attorney representing Karmelo Anthony - the 17-year-old charged with first-degree murder in the fatal stabbing of high school football standout Austin Metcalf - has issued a request for the teen following this week's tragedy.
Anthony has been held at the Collin County Jail on a $1,000,000 bond since his arrest on April 2.
The stabbing occurred during a track and field event at Kuykendall Stadium in Frisco and reportedly began with a dispute over seating arrangements under a pop-up tent during a weather delay.
Both teens attended different high schools within the Frisco Independent School District: Metcalf was a junior at Frisco Memorial High School, while Anthony was a senior at Frisco Centennial High School.
According to police and witness statements detailed in the arrest affidavit obtained by NBC DFW, Metcalf and his twin brother Hunter asked Anthony to move from under their team’s tent.
Anthony allegedly refused and warned: “Touch me and see what happens.”
When Metcalf then placed his hands on Anthony to get him to move, the affidavit says Anthony unzipped a bag, pulled out a black knife, and stabbed Metcalf once in the chest.
Metcalf collapsed, and despite CPR and a blood transfusion, he was later pronounced dead at a local hospital. His twin brother Hunter held him in his arms as he died.
“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 told Fox News.
READ MORE: Final Social Media Post Of Austin Metcalf
In an emotional statement, Hunter added: “He didn't deserve it. I know people that lose their family members all the time, but I just didn't know it would be mine so soon. My best friend, my brother, my whole life.”
However, as reported by the New York Post, Anthony's lawyer, Deric Walpole, has told NBC Dallas-Fort Worth that he has no immediate reason to believe the act wasn't in self-defense — echoing the suspect's own claims.
Anthony was taken into custody at the scene. According to the arrest report, he confessed, telling officers: “I’m not alleged, I did it.” He also told police: “I was protecting myself. He put his hands on me.”
“I know that my client said it was self defense. 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,” Walpole told the outlet outside of the prison. “I don’t have any reason to think it wasn’t self defense at this time.”
Walpole added that he has filed a motion to lower Anthony’s $1 million bond in hopes of securing pretrial release.
Austin’s parents, Jeff and Meghan Metcalf, have publicly grieved the sudden loss of their son.
Meghan recalled to WFAA that Hunter “was trying to save his brother” and “saw when he took his last breath before the CPR came back in.”
"Just doesn't make any sense," the grieving mom added. "Just because the kid was mad, my son is not here anymore, and I don't understand it."
Jeff Metcalf, speaking to NBC Dallas-Fort Worth, described the aftermath: “I could see all the blood, and I saw where the wound was, and I was very concerned, so I had to find his brother, and we rushed to the hospital. And we prayed, and it’s God’s plan, I don’t understand it, but they weren’t able to save him. This is murder.”
Austin was remembered as a gifted athlete and bright student. “His smile would light up the room. His passion for football was unbelievable,” said Jeff. A GoFundMe campaign launched in his honor has since raised over $240,000.
Meanwhile, Karmelo's father, Andrew Anthony, has defended his son, saying the teen was “provoked” and “not the aggressor.”
Speaking to the New York Post, he said: “Everyone has already made their assumptions about my son, but he’s not what they’re making him out to be. He’s a good kid. He works two jobs. He’s an A student, has a 3.7 GPA.”
Attorney Deric Walpole, who met with Anthony for the first time on Friday, told NBC DFW, “I know that my client said it was self defense. 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.”
The case continues to stir fierce emotions from both families and the community, with questions mounting about school safety and how a weapon could be brought to a school-sanctioned event. Frisco Independent School District, as noted by former Dallas ISD Chief of Police Craig Miller, does not typically use metal detectors at schools or athletic venues.