In the wake of a tragic stabbing that claimed the life of 17-year-old Austin Metcalf, the father of the accused, Karmelo Anthony, is speaking out in an effort to shift public perception. Andrew Anthony, in an emotional interview with the New York Post, described his son as a hard-working teen with a 3.7 GPA,

holding down two jobs, and not the violent figure portrayed in headlines. With the case drawing national attention, the family has launched a fundraiser on GiveSendGo, which has raised over $143,000, insisting that Karmelo acted in self-defense. The campaign challenges the dominant narrative, calling it “false, unjust, and harmful,” despite police statements that Karmelo admitted to the stabbing.