A Texas murder conviction reverberated beyond the state this week, culminating in a social media firestorm and an alleged act of street violence hundreds of miles from the courthouse. Karmelo Anthony, 19, was found guilty on Tuesday by a jury in Collin County, Texas, and subsequently sentenced to 35 years in prison for the 2025 stabbing murder of Austin Metcalf. The incident that led to Metcalf’s death occurred at a high school track meet in Frisco, Texas.
"um down to 4 crackers na free karmelo." — Combak KidBoe, Social Media Influencer
According to trial testimony, the confrontation began when Anthony entered a tent occupied by Metcalf’s team uninvited and challenged anyone present to remove him. When Metcalf attempted to do so, Anthony reportedly drew a knife. Anthony’s claim of self-defense was largely unsupported by eyewitness accounts, which consistently indicated that he escalated the situation to a lethal degree. The case had a racial dimension from its outset, as Anthony is Black and Metcalf was white, contributing to heightened emotions throughout the legal proceedings. Outside the Collin County Courthouse in McKinney, supporters of Anthony reportedly clashed with demonstrators, with racial slurs exchanged, foreshadowing further tensions.
The situation escalated dramatically with an incident documented in Florida. A content creator, identifying as "Combak KidBoe," posted a video to social media purportedly showing him approaching a white military veteran and punching him in the face without apparent provocation, in broad daylight. The caption accompanying the video, "um down to 4 crackers na free karmelo," explicitly linked the assault to the Anthony verdict. In the video, KidBoe is heard asking the veteran, "Weren't you on jury selection?" before allegedly telling the man he was "going to die" and then striking him.
KidBoe’s social media profile indicates he is based in Jacksonville, Florida, with ties to Miami Beach, a considerable distance from the McKinney, Texas, courtroom where the Anthony trial took place. As of now, there is no verified information confirming any actual connection between the targeted veteran and the Anthony jury. Furthermore, it remains unclear whether Florida law enforcement authorities have initiated an investigation into the alleged assault.
The initial video was removed from Facebook, where KidBoe maintained a following of over 5,800 users. Despite the removal, KidBoe reportedly reposted the footage to Instagram on Wednesday morning, reaching a smaller audience of 261 followers on that platform. Rather than distancing himself from the content following its takedown, KidBoe publicly acknowledged the removal while continuing to post pro-Anthony material across his social media accounts.
The identity of the veteran targeted in the video has not been publicly confirmed, nor has the specific location of the assault within Florida been disclosed. The incident highlights how a judicial outcome in one state can reportedly trigger real-world violence against an unverified private citizen in another, with the act recorded and disseminated online under a rallying cry for a convicted individual. The sequence of events underscores ongoing debates surrounding social media responsibility, the impact of high-profile legal cases, and the potential for online rhetoric to translate into offline actions.
