Press conference in Austin Metcalf killing devolves into chaos

Chaos unfolded during a press conference in Dallas Thursday afternoon as the spokesman for Karmelo Anthony’s family took jabs at Austin Metcalf’s father, who was escorted from the site of the event before it began.

Anthony is accused of fatally stabbing fellow 17-year-old Austin Metcalf at an April 2 high school track meet in Frisco, Texas. 

Jeff Metcalf, Austin’s father, attempted to attend the news conference Thursday led by Dominique Alexander, the head of the Next Generation Action Network, an activist group speaking on Anthony’s behalf. 

Jeff Metcalf with his son, Austin Metcalf, a junior at Memorial High School in Frisco, who was allegedly stabbed in the chest by 17-year-old Karmelo Anthony, a student-athlete from Frisco Centennial High School. (Courtesy Jeff Metcalf)

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Metcalf confirmed to Fox News Digital he was escorted from the event under the threat of criminal trespass charges. 

“The preliminary investigation determined that one person was asked to leave the location and did so without incident,” the Dallas Police Department told Fox News Digital. “No offense was reported.”

Anthony is facing first-degree murder charges for allegedly stabbing Metcalf to death during a dispute under a tent at a track meet.

He was released from the Collin County Jail after his bond was reduced from $1 million to $250,000. 

The news conference addressed more than $450,000 in GiveSendGo funds that have been donated to the Anthony family after his arrest and rumors the money was being spent improperly. The second focus was supposed to be Anthony’s mother, Kayla Hayes, who read a statement on behalf of the family that was prepared by attorneys. 

Dominique Alexander of the Next Generation Action Network hosted a news conference on behalf of Karmelo Anthony’s family Thursday, April 17.  (Next Generation Action Network via Facebook)

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But the event devolved into accusations of racism and bigotry, along with Alexander’s admonishment of Jeff Metcalf before either topic was even discussed. 

“What we’ve seen at the beginning of this press conference, of the father being at this press conference, these are my words — don’t quote anybody — is a disrespect to the dignity of his son,” Alexander said. 

“Next Generation Action Network from the beginning has respected the loss of life, no matter our opinion of it. We have kept our opinion close,” he said. “We have not attacked. We have not shared the information that was shared with us about Austin Metcalf because we respect the dignity of life and loss.

Austin Metcalf’s father, Jeff Metcalf, previously told Fox News his “life was destroyed” by his son’s killing. (Jeff Metcalf)

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“That was disrespectful and just shows you all the character,” Alexander said. “He was not invited. He knows that it’s inappropriate to be near this family, but he did it. So, I say to people, actions speak louder than words.”

Alexander said Jeff Metcalf wanted to focus on politics and bigotry. 

“What he has felled [sic] into is the political operatives that want to make this thing a political thing of hate and yet bigotry and yet racism,” he said. “We have conservative operatives that have been posting nonstop about this case.” 

Accused killer Karmelo Anthony, center, walks out of jail after posting bond. (KDFW)

He then moved onto the issue of the online fundraiser. 

Alexander said none of the money from the GiveSendGo has been spent, and any suggestion otherwise is “intentional disinformation.”

“Let’s be clear,” he said. “The family has not received one dime.”

Alexander then ranted about the Frisco Independent School District’s plans to expel Anthony a month before graduation. He noted that Anthony has a 3.7 GPA, and that even if he didn’t go to class for the rest of the year, he would still be able to graduate. 

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He also appeared to subtly shift blame for Metcalf’s death from Anthony to the school district, intimating that the school should have canceled the April 2 track meet in the first place because of inclement weather. 

“Because as a person who is the administrator of yet children, you are responsible for the safety of the children,” he said. “And so it seems as if Frisco ISD is trying to push this off by making [the decision to expel Anthony] that they do not have to make.” 

Mugshot of Karmelo Anthony, left, and Austin Metcalf in football pads, right. (Fox DFW/Jeff Metcalf)

“While Frisco ISD cannot comment on an individual student’s disciplinary record due to student privacy law, we can provide general information about district protocol and relevant law,” a spokesperson for the district told Fox News Digital. 

“If the school recommends expulsion, which means the student is removed from school, the student is not allowed to go on any Frisco ISD property while the decision is being made,” the spokesperson said. “A meeting will be held where the student can share their side of the story and show any evidence. After the meeting, the district will decide whether to go through with the expulsion and will let the student and parents know.”

Before finally turning the conference over to Hayes, Alexander commented on Judge Angela Tucker, a Black Republican presiding over the case. 

“But the ugly attacks on her just shows Black America that no matter what you pick in the ballot box — and that is your constitutional right — it’s people out here reminding us of the Black struggle in America.”

Austin Metcalf, 17, was stabbed to death at a Texas track meet. (Jeff Metcalf)

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An emotional Hayes spoke only briefly. 

“Our family has been under attack,” she said. “Whatever you think, what happened between Karmelo and the Metcalf boy, my three younger children, my husband and I didn’t do anything to deserve to be threatened, harassed and lied about.”

She said such lies have put her family in danger, along with the community and those involved in the investigation. 

“Our address and my husband’s previous employer’s address has been put on all social media platforms,” she said. “My husband had to take a leave of absence because he’s afraid of what may happen to our family.”

She said her husband’s mental health is deteriorating, and her daughter is afraid to sleep in her own bed. 

Hayes echoed Alexander’s sentiment that the GiveSendGo funds have not been used by the family at all. 

Karmelo Anthony’s mother, Kayla Hayes, speaks at a press conference Thursday, April 17, 2025. (Next Generation Action Network via Facebook)

After Hayes spoke, Alexander returned to the issue of race.

“Because these racist bigots try to prevent us from standing up for our baby, our boy, he should be afforded the same rights that Kyle Rittenhouse had, Daniel Penny and all the people who have claimed whatever their defense was – he should be afforded the same right,” Alexander said. 

“Nobody in the public media has one video, but we got the video of Kyle Rittenhouse with an AK-47 shooting three people in the back,” he said. “We got that, and he raised more than $2 million publicly, and nobody said anything about that.”

Jeff Metcalf previously told Fox News, “I want to clarify something right off to start because I’ve already heard some rumors and gossip. This was not a race thing. This is not a political thing.

“Do not politicize this. It’s not … this is a human being thing. This person made a bad choice and affected both his family and my family forever.”

Metcalf added that “Austin was the light of my life.”

He said on “America Reports” that Austin died in the arms of his twin brother, Hunter, who desperately tried to stop the bleeding.

“They were so tight. They had the best bond. They were best friends,” Metcalf said of the pair. “And now I have to focus on taking care of Hunter.”

Metcalf also mentioned forgiveness.

“People ask me, how can you forgive this other person? I said I forgive the other person because the forgiveness is not for him. The forgiveness is for me so I can have peace,” he said. “His life is destroyed. My life is destroyed.”

Austin Metcalf, 16, died at a track meet after getting stabbed. (FOX DFW Chopper)

Metcalf was killed after an altercation under a Memorial High School tent at the track meet. The arrest report from the incident said Anthony “grabbed his bag, opened it and reached inside it” and told Metcalf, “Touch me and see what happens.”

In the next moment, a witness told police, Anthony “reached into his bag and the male took a knife out of the bag and stabbed Austin.”

The witness told the officer Anthony fled after the stabbing. Metcalf died in his twin brother’s arms.

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Anthony told the responding school resource officer, who cuffed him upon arrival, he was protecting himself. The officer also noted blood on Anthony’s left middle finger. 

One responding officer referred to Anthony as the alleged suspect. Anthony made a “spontaneous statement,” according to the report, saying, “I’m not alleged, I did it.”

Anthony also asked the officers if Metcalf was “going to be OK” and asked if what happened could be considered “self-defense,” the report said.

Fox News Digital’s Madison Colombo contributed to this report.