The co-founders of site hosting the fundraising campaign addressed on X the backlash the fundraiser has been receiving online, defending their decision to keep it up
FRISCO, Texas — A fundraiser set up for the teen charged with murder in the fatal stabbing of a Frisco Memorial High School student at a track meet last week has raised more than $350,000.
Karmelo Anthony, a 17-year-old student at Frisco Centennial High School, was arrested and charged with murder for fatally stabbing Frisco Memorial High School student athlete Austin Metcalf April 2 at the University Interscholastic League’s (UIL) District 11-5A championship track meet at Frisco ISD’s Kuykendall Stadium.
In an arrest affidavit obtained by WFAA, Anthony confessed to the stabbing and claimed he’d been trying to protect himself.
As of the morning of April 11, a fundraiser on GiveSendGo for Anthony had raised $351,055 of its $450,000 goal.
“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,” a post on the fundraiser page attributed to the Anthony family reads.
News of the fundraiser quickly spread and sparked backlash online.
The co-founders of GiveSendGo addressed the backlash to the fundraiser online in posts on social media.
“People are mad about our stance to allow Karmelo Anthony family a campaign on GiveSendGo and I get it, it is a horrible situation. There are even calls for a boycott, but because I know a similar scenario will happen again for someone on the ‘right’ and our competitor won’t allow them a campaign even though it is a legal endeavor, people will be back to using GiveSendGo,” co-founder Jacob Wells wrote on X.
GoFundMe’s terms of service, by contrast, prohibits users from using the platform to raise funds for “the legal defense of financial and violent crimes,” according to their website.
“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,” GiveSendGo co-founder Heather Wilson wrote on X. “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?”
The comment section of Wells’ post, too, drew backlash, though.
“Can you explain which principle you’re standing for? I understand freedom of speech but I’m struggling with you stating it’s a principled stand. I genuinely want to know. I think many of us, me especially, are struggling that a teen would kill another teen he doesn’t even know,” one commenter responded.
A bond hearing for Anthony is set for Monday.