FRISCO, Texas – Nearly $300,000 has been raised for Frisco murder suspect Karmelo Anthony.
Anthony, 17, was charged with murder after the stabbing of 17-year-old Austin Metcalf at a track meet last week.
Karmelo Anthony fundraisers
Karmelo Anthony GiveSendGo
By the numbers:
As of Wednesday afternoon, a fundraiser on GiveSendGo had brought in more than $285,000. It has a goal of $350,000.
A message on the page from Anthony’s family reads:
“This is the Official Support Fund for Karmelo and his family during this challenging and difficult time.
“The narrative being spread is false, unjust, and harmful. 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 fundraising has generated outrage on social media with people calling on the platform to stop allowing donations.
GiveSendGo’s co-founder Heather Wilson defended the platform’s decision to leave the campaign on X.
What they’re saying:
“I wanted to share my perspective on the ongoing discussion about whether we should allow fundraising for individuals who’ve been charged with a crime,” Wilson said. “We’re now seeing similar outrage from the right as we once did from the left when we allowed campaigns for Kyle Rittenhouse and Daniel Penny. In both of those cases, we upheld the principle that someone is presumed innocent until proven guilty. Shouldn’t that same standard apply here as well?”
Wilson went on to say that people donated to all three of the campaigns to support due process and a fair trial.
“From the beginning, we decided that GiveSendGo would not serve as judge and jury. We’re not here to decide who deserves a defense. That’s the role of our justice system,” Wilson said. “The right was outraged when GoFundMe removed Rittenhouse’s campaign. Do you now believe big tech should censor based on their personal beliefs around a situation?”
Wilson urged people to let the court decide and not succumb to “mob outrage.”
Several GoFundMe campaigns for Anthony have been deleted by the platform.
“GoFundMe’s Terms of Service prohibit fundraisers for the legal defense of violent crimes. Consistent with this long-standing policy, any fundraisers for the legal defense of someone charged with a violent crime are removed from the platform and fully refunded,” a GoFundMe spokesperson said in a statement.
The Anthony family said in a statement that they were never behind any of the GoFundMe accounts.
“Any GoFundMe account is not authorized or endorsed by the family. Please do not use GoFundMe for any donations to Karmelo Anthony’s family,” the Anthony family said in a statement.
What’s next:
Anthony is due in court Monday, his defense team is asking for a reduction in the teen’s $1 million bond.
Frisco track meet stabbing
Frisco track meet stabbing: What we know
Frisco Memorial junior Austin Metcalf was stabbed and killed on Wednesday at a track meet. Frisco Centennial 17-year-old Karmelo Anthony has been charged with murder in the stabbing. Take a look back at FOX 4’s coverage of the stabbing as more information came out about the victim, suspect and a full conversation with Austin’s father, Jeff.
Dig deeper:
17-year-old Austin Metcalf, a junior at Memorial High School in Frisco, was killed at a UIL District 11-5A track meet at Kuykendall Stadium.
Police said a student from Centennial High School in Frisco, 17-year-old Karmelo Anthony, stabbed Metcalf in the chest during a fight.
An arrest report for Anthony said that Anthony told a school resource officer that Metcalf “put his hands” on him. After the officer mentioned to others that he had the alleged suspect in custody, the report states Anthony said, “I’m not alleged. I did it.”
The report states Anthony also asked the officers, “Is he going to be okay?” And he “asked if what happened could be considered self-defense.”
Witnesses told police that Anthony was sitting under the Memorial High School tent and was told to leave. Anthony allegedly told Metcalf “touch me and see what happens.” One witness told police that Metcalf then pushed Anthony to get him out of the tent and Anthony reached into a bag and stabbed him.
Anthony was arrested and is now charged with first-degree murder.
He is in the Collin County jail on a $1 million bond.
Austin Metcalf
Austin’s father, Jeff Metcalf, described the teen as an honor student, a natural leader and a talented athlete.
In addition to track and field, he was a linebacker on the Memorial High School football team.
“Austin was a leader. He led the football team. He was voted team MVP by his players and coaches,” he said. “He played inside. His brother plays outside. Football was his pride and joy. He was working on track and field to increase his speed.”
Austin’s family believes the fight started in the stands over a seating issue.
“They were sitting there, and someone was behind them mouthing off, and they turned around and said, ‘Who are you?’ And he said, ‘I’m Melo.’ And they said, ‘Well, you don’t belong here. You don’t go to Memorial.’ He had a Centennial tracksuit on. They said, ‘Well, you need to leave. This ain’t your spot,’” Jeff Metcalf said. “And some words were discussed that I’m not gonna say on camera but he asked him to leave, and he basically said, ‘Make me.’ And then he wound up stabbing him in the heart and killing him all over someone sitting in the wrong spot at a track meet.”
Austin Metcalf Funeral Service
A memorial service will be held on Saturday, April 12 at 10 a.m. at Hope Fellowship Frisco East, located at 9950 Rolater Rd. in Frisco.
The family will have a private burial after the memorial service.
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GiveSendGo
GiveSendGo was founded in 2014 and designed to be used as a way to raise money for mission trips, medical expenses, personal needs or “any ‘God Adventure’ you embark on,” their website states.
The platform gained national attention in 2020 when it allowed a fundraiser for Kyle Rittenhouse to remain up after similar campaigns were deleted by GoFundMe.
Rittenhouse was 17 when he shot and killed two men during a Black Lives Matter protest in Kenosha, Wisconsin in 2020.
He argued that he acted in self-defense when he used an AR-15 rifle during the shooting.
A jury found him not guilty of homicide charges.
Rittenhouse eventually raised nearly $600,000 on the platform.
The platform has also been used to raise money for alleged UnitedHealthcare CEO killer Luigi Mangione, Daniel Penny and Jan. 6 rioters.
The Source: Fundraising information comes from GiveSendGo. Statements made by Heather Wilson come from social media platform, X. GoFundMe’s statement comes from a release. Background information on the stabbing comes from previous FOX 4 reporting.
