Rumors have continued swirling on social media, arguing Karmelo Anthony had a cleat sharpener — not a knife — when he fatally stabbed 17-year-old Austin Metcalf at a high school track meet in Frisco last year.
The trial began this week, reigniting widespread racially charged debates and a torrent of misinformation across social media. Public outrage initially erupted online following the incident in April 2025.
Many users alleged without evidence that the then 17-year-old Anthony used a cleat sharpener, a tool used to sharpen running shoes’ spikes, to defend himself after being grabbed by Metcalf. Further online discussions question whether cleat sharpeners are actual tools used by athletes.
In an arrest warrant affidavit obtained by The Dallas Morning News, police reported that a “partially open” knife with blood on it was recovered from the bleachers after Metcalf was stabbed.
Anthony’s attorney, Mike Howard, alluded to its size Wednesday during the trial when he told jurors that knives less than five and a half inches long are legally permitted in public spaces, including high school track meets. Authorities have not released any additional information about the evidence that could be heard in court.