The Karmelo Anthony-Austin Metcalf stabbing has sparked intense reactions on social media. Anthony fatally stabbed Metcalf after an altercation during a track meet in Frisco, Texas, on April 2 and has been arrested, charged with first-degree murder and held on $1M bond. The case has taken on a life of its own since then, with social media split along racial lines in many instances. From the comment section to online fundraising campaigns, people are taking sides and using both young men as pawns in political rifts and racial conflicts.
Anthony’s case has led many on social media to compare him to NYC subway choker Daneil Penny, noting the perceived double standard in how Petty’s killing was received. Petty, an ex-Marine, choked homeless man Jordan Neely to death in a subway train because he was irritating passengers in 2023. He was acquitted by a jury of his peers and most recently was seen modeling in a kilt during a NYC fashion show.
Kyle Rittenhouse is another name that has come up when pointing to the difference in which Anthony is perceived by media as compared to white suspects who were in somewhat similar situations. Rittenhouse, who was deemed a hero after famously claiming self-defense after shooting and killing two unarmed people during a Black Lives Matter protest in Kenosha, Wisconsin, in August 2020, was found not guilty by a jury.
Why Is Karmelo Anthony Being Compared To Kyle Rittenhouse?
While the case is still ongoing, social media has become captivated and as more details emerge, many have rallied behind Karmelo Anthony’s self-defense argument, citing past cases in which white perpetrators of violent crimes have been acquitted on self-defense claims.
Rittenhouse, a 17-year-old from Antioch, Illinois, traveled to Kenosha, Wisconsin, toting an AR-15-style rifle during protests in response to the police shooting of Jacob Blake. Rittenhouse took it upon himself to drive across state lines with the assault rifle, claiming he was there to protect businesses and provide medical aid. On August 25, 2020, he shot and killed two men and wounded a third following confrontations with protesters.
Initially, Rittenhouse was charged with multiple felonies, including first-degree intentional homicide, but his lawyers argued that he acted in self-defense, fearing for his life when attacked. The prosecution claimed he stoked the flames of violence, but Rittenhouse was found not guilty of all charges in November 2021.
Should Karmelo Anthony Be Acquitted On Self-Defense Like Kyle Rittenhouse Was?
With Anthony claiming self-defense as well for his crime, there’s been a movement on social media to ensure that Anthony gets the same fair trial as Rittenhouse and Penny who both killed Black people and were acquitted. Anthony supporters insist that slamming the 17-year-old for carrying a knife because he feared for his safety is hypocritical for those who praised Rittenhouse for his overzealousness, staunchly defending his right to carry a firearm into a protest.
One X user said: “You can’t say #KarmeloAnthony shouldn’t have had a knife because Kyle Rittenhouse should’ve never had a gun, he broke gun laws to gain access to an AR, committed a mass shooting killing 2 ppl, then the courts let him go free. The white supremacists made him a hero.”
“The only killer that night was Kyle. And Karmelo had to tell Austin “Touch me and see what happened.” So Austin was the aggressor,” said another X fan supporting Anthony.
Of course, the pro-Metcalf supporters argued back and forth that it wasn’t the same thing.
“Kyle was getting chased and attacked by the woke mob death cult while they were rioting. Metcalf was trying to get a delinquent (from a different school) that was cutting class to leave his track meet tent during a rain delay. This low IQ logic is so tiresome. There is a MAJOR difference: Kyle Rittenhouse was chased by a mob and violently attacked. Karmelo Anthony wasn’t,” said another frustrated X user.
“Kyle Rittenhouse didn’t take a gun to a school. Mass Murder is defined by 4 victims. Kyle only shot 3, only two of which died. Meanwhile, Karmelo there, took a knife to a school, got in a verbal argument and stabbed the other kid in the heart. Totally different,” said another bothered X user.
It’s not a stretch to say that the majority of the people on social media supporting Austin Metcalf’s position in this tragic situation are predominantly white and the people coming to Anthony’s defense are predominantly Black.
Karmelo Anthony-Austin Metcalf Tragedy Split Along Racial Lines
Both sides want justice. One side wants to ensure that justice is truly done and have stated examples of similar situations that should make Anthony’s legal defense team optimistic that there is some wiggle room here for the 17-year-old football player and honor student who like many young people, probably didn’t handle a confrontation the right way.
It’s not like adults teach the youth any other way these days. Just watch the news and see how much respect our President has for diversity of people, thought and culture. Ultimately, this nation will suffer when promising teenagers fall susceptible to the violence, bullying and intolerance that is constantly promoted by their elders.
