The United States has been rocked by Austin Metcalf’s passing.
In the era of social media, unsubstantiated allegations and suspicions regarding the actual events at Kuykendall Stadium have proliferated like wildfire.
Among them are ludicrous conspiracy ideas, which have prompted the FBI and local police to respond.
False post
After a furious altercation on April 2, Austin Metcalf, a 17-year-old athlete and honor student, unfortunately died after being fatally stabbed in the chest, allegedly by another 17-year-old, Karmelo Anthony.
The two teenagers had never met before, according to Metcalf’s family, and their verbal argument swiftly turned violent when Anthony brandished a knife.
Following Austin Metcalf’s untimely death, a number of phony social media profiles posing as the local police chief and the medical examiner’s office have emerged, disseminating false information regarding the circumstances of his passing.
According to the New York article, one particularly unsettling viral article made the untrue allegation that Metcalf truly passed away from a heroin overdose.
Falsely claiming that Metcalf was slain after supposedly overwhelming Karmelo Anthony in what was called “mutual combat,” another deceptive tweet claimed to be from the Frisco police chief.
Austin Metcalf died from a “MDMA drug overdose,” with the stab wound labeled as secondary, according to a photoshopped photograph that went viral online and purported to be an official report from the Collin County Medical Examiner’s Office. This report is completely untrue, according to police confirmation.
The Frisco Police Department is aware of a picture that is making the rounds on social media that seems to be a Collin County Medical Examiner’s Office report. The report has not yet been made public. Therefore, according to a Facebook post from the department, any information now available online is FALSE.
Pretending to be the Frisco Police Chief
According to WFAA-TV, the FBI and Frisco police have launched a criminal investigation into a phony social media account that purports to be Frisco Police Chief David Shilson. The phony account distributed a fabricated statement from the police chief, alleging Metcalf had “sucker punched” Karmelo Anthony first and had “smashed [Anthony]’s phone onto one of the bleachers,” leading to what was described as a “mutual combat altercation.”
Frisco Police Chief David Shilson responded to the disseminating false information with a severe warning:
“Watch out for anyone using social media to purposefully sow disinformation, hatred, fear, and division.
I urge everyone to exercise caution when it comes to the false information that is being spread about this tragedy and to only believe material that is confirmed by official sources and releases.
Some phony accounts have even been denounced by Anthony’s own relatives. They stated in a statement that one GoFundMe campaign that purported to gather funds using these misleading stories was a fraud.
Anthony and his family have raised almost $200,000 for his legal defense, despite some fundraisers’ dubious validity.
On the crowdsourcing website GiveSendGo, the Anthony family wrote, “The narrative being spread is false, unjust, and harmful.”
As a religious family, we sincerely appreciate all of your help at this difficult time. We are more grateful than ever for your prayers and support.
hired well-known Texas lawyers
With the help of the campaign, the family will be able to retain two well-known Texas lawyers who have experience with racially sensitive matters, such as negotiating a settlement for a 14-year-old girl who was involved in the contentious 2015 McKinney pool party incident.
“We are committed to ensuring that Karmelo’s rights are indeed protected throughout each phase of the criminal justice system,” Clark and Cole said in a statement. “Karmelo, like all citizens of the United States, is entitled to a fair and impartial legal process.”
Anthony is still being imprisoned at Collin County Jail on a $1 million bond for a first-degree murder charge.
“Despite the chaos online, most residents are choosing to stay above the frenzy of conspiracy theories,” said Frisco City Councilman Brian Livingston.
“On social media, this is a huge issue. Social media, in my opinion, does not accurately reflect Frisco, Livingston told the New York Post.
“I believe Frisco has a track record of dealing with similar situations. Our community is one. Although it is taken seriously, he continued, “I believe that people are primarily focused on getting through this and worried about the two families.”