The twin brother of Texas high school football star Austin Metcalf has opened up about the tragic stabbing that claimed his brother’s life during a school track meet.
Hunter Metcalf cradled his dying brother, Austin, in his arms after a brief dispute over seating turned deadly at David Kuykendall Stadium in Frisco last Wednesday (April 2).
Austin, 17, a junior at Frisco Memorial High School and standout linebacker with a 4.0 GPA, was allegedly stabbed in the chest by Karmelo Anthony, a senior from nearby Frisco Centennial High School.
“We were one person. We did everything together, everything the same. We connected so well,” Hunter told the Dallas News.
In a heart-wrenching interview with Fox News, the bereaved sibling recalled the moment he tried to save his brother: "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."
Their father, Jeff, arrived at the scene to find Austin 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.
“I’m so proud,” Jeff said. “Of both of my sons. They were, and still are, great men.”
According to the arrest affidavit obtained by NBC DFW, the fatal confrontation began during a rain delay when the twins asked Anthony to move from under their team’s pop-up tent.
Anthony allegedly refused and warned, “Touch me and see what happens.” When Austin put his hands on Anthony, police said the teen unzipped a bag, pulled out a black knife, and stabbed him once in the chest.
Despite CPR and a blood transfusion, the 17-year-old was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital. “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,” Hunter said.
Austin’s mother, Meghan Metcalf, added: “Just doesn’t make any sense. Just because the kid was mad, my son is not here anymore, and I don’t understand it.”
The accused teen was taken into custody at the scene and is charged with murder.
According to the arrest report, Anthony confessed: “I’m not alleged, I did it.” He also told officers, “I was protecting myself. He put his hands on me.”
The 17-year-old'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 don’t have any reason to disbelieve that [Anthony acted in self defense], but I need to develop facts, talk to people, and figure out what’s going on,” he told NBC DFW.
His father, Andrew Anthony, has also defended his son, calling him a hardworking student with a 3.7 GPA who holds two jobs. “Everyone has already made their assumptions about my son, but he’s not what they’re making him out to be,” he told the New York Post. “He’s a good kid.”
Still, Austin’s father described the act plainly: “This is murder,” Jeff told NBC Dallas-Fort Worth. “I could see all the blood, and I saw where the wound was. I had to find his brother, and we rushed to the hospital. We prayed, and it’s God’s plan. I don’t understand it, but they weren’t able to save him.”
Jeff spoke about the twins’ tight bond, sharing memories from their last hunting trip together just four days before the stabbing, when Austin proudly took down his first wild hog. “This was going to be his year,” Jeff said of his son, who had begun receiving college football offers.
Austin’s legacy continues to resonate through his community. A GoFundMe campaign has raised more than $244,000 in his honor.
The case has also raised concerns about security at school events. Frisco Independent School District, where both teens attended separate schools, does not currently use metal detectors at its campuses or athletic venues, according to former Dallas ISD Chief of Police Craig Miller.
As the community mourns, Jeff Metcalf offered a message to the public: “If you can’t be a kind person, find one. We need more compassion, more love, more understanding, better parenting, and less social media. I pray that none of this happens to another family.”