A 17-year-old boy was stabbed to death. Activists portray the teen charged with murder as the real victim.

S eventeen-year-old Austin Metcalf died in his twin brother’s arms last week after he was stabbed in the chest. What should seem like a straightforward case has become complicated by race.

Metcalf and 17-year-old Karmelo Anthony, who has been charged with murder in the case, were at a Frisco Independent School District stadium in Texas on April 2. Anthony was seated under a Memorial High School pop-up tent on stadium bleachers when Metcalf allegedly asked Anthony, a student at Frisco Centennial High School, to move out from under the tent (which was reserved for the Memorial High team). Anthony did not. He reportedly unzipped his bag and told Metcalf, “Touch me and see what happens.” Metcalf did; and when he told Anthony again to move, Anthony allegedly took a knife out of his bag and stabbed Metcalf once in the chest. Multiple witnesses corroborated this account. Metcalf died in his twin brother Hunter’s arms.

Jeff Metcalf, the boys’ father, told CBS News that Hunter “was holding his hands on the hole trying to save [Austin’s] life. He told me, ‘I looked at him, his eyes. He was gone, he wasn’t breathing.’”

Anthony said to police directly after the event that “I was protecting myself,” according to police reports, and added that “[Metcalf] put his hands on me.” When one cop advised another that he had the alleged suspect in custody, Anthony said, “I’m not alleged, I did it.” Anthony asked another police officer “if what happened could be considered self-defense,” according to that officer, and reportedly asked police in the back of a squad car, “Is he going to be okay?” The teen has been charged with first-degree murder.

Online rumors started to circulate almost immediately: including that the two teens knew each other before the event, that Metcalf (who was white) bullied Anthony (who is black) before the stabbing, that Metcalf punched Anthony and broke his phone, and even that Metcalf died of a drug overdose. Police have called all that speculation misinformation.

An account created a fake police report to spread some of the false claims, which Frisco PD Chief David Shilson called “a criminal offense and a 3rd degree felony which will be investigated.” Dominique Alexander, a Black Lives Matter–affiliated spokesman for Anthony, confirmed that the two boys did not know each other. Reports that the boys got into a fight before the fatal stabbing are unverified.

The suspect’s lawyers said in a statement this week that “Karmelo and the entire Anthony family are sincerely saddened that a life was lost and offer their condolences to the family of Austin Metcalf.”

“During this difficult time, we urge the public to refrain from rushing to judgment before all the facts and evidence are presented,” attorneys continued. “Karmelo, like all citizens of the United States, is entitled to a fair and impartial legal process; we are committed to ensuring that Karmelo’s rights are indeed protected throughout each phase of the criminal justice system.”

Racial justice advocates have likened Anthony’s case to Rosa Parks’s, in part based on misinformation being circulated online about the dispute. For some, this case reads as such, vaguely: A white boy asked a black boy to move. He refused. (Rosa Parks, however, famously did not resort to violence.)

Facts of the case will be revealed in court. Texas state law is clear on what constitutes self-defense: Individuals may defend themselves with reasonable force when others use illegal force against them. Individuals may not, however, prompt someone to use force only to claim self-defense. Force used must be proportionate to the threat at hand.

What is not in dispute is that a senseless act of violence has turned into a national battle involving race. Online sympathy and fundraising efforts have been directed mostly toward Anthony and his family.

Activists have now raised over $350,000 (and counting) for Anthony’s legal defense. Comments on a GiveSendGo fundraiser express prayers of comfort and sympathy for the Anthony family. “This could have been any one of our sons,” one comment read. “I’m proud of you for not being afraid to defend yourself, lil bro. You stood up for yourself, and now I’m here to stand up for you,” another read. A top donor thanked God that Anthony had the “strength to defend himself against his attackers that day and now thank you for giving him the victory!” Yet another said Metcalf “FAFO” (f***ed around and found out).

A civil rights attorney wrote in a Dallas Morning News column this week that:

I believe in justice. But not the kind that only punishes. Not the kind that rushes to conclusions or leans into fear. I believe in restorative justice . . . Karmelo is a child. And like every child, he deserves due process, compassion, and the chance to be seen fully – not flattened into a headline . . . My hope is that we can hold space for both loss and accountability. That we can respond with wisdom, not fear. That we can choose justice – but do it differently this time.

Feelings of compassion for Anthony are understandable; in that it’s tragic to see a young man’s life ruined by his own terrible actions. But compassion should not cloud the pursuit of justice, as it seems to have done for many in this case. Metcalf’s father even said: “It’s very unfortunate that this other child decided to make a bad choice that’s going to affect him for the rest of his life. I have compassion for every human being. I want to make this very clear: This is not a race issue. This is not a black and white issue. I don’t want someone stepping up on the soapbox trying to politicize this.”

Austin’s memorial service is on April 12. His parents Jeff and Meagan must live through losing a child. His twin Hunter must celebrate a lifetime of birthdays without his brother. Austin “illuminated the lives of his family and friends with his infectious laughter and gentle spirit,” his family wrote in an obituary. “As we remember him, we reflect on a life filled with potential, aspirations, and the pure essence of youth.”

Justice for Austin Metcalf.