Some social media users have been taking part in an online trend that appears to mock the death of Austin Metcalf, a 17-year-old who was stabbed and killed. The participants in the trend dance with knives and pretend to stab themselves while a rap song called Austin Bop plays in the background.
The trend is said to be linked to supporters of Karmelo Anthony, who is 19 years old. According to the New York Post, Anthony was sentenced this month to 35 years for stabbing Metcalf in the heart. The song Austin Bop was reportedly uploaded to Apple Music on June 10, the day after Anthony was convicted. The lyrics include: “Austin bop, knife had blood on the tip when he dropped … coughin’ up blood, you think he got ebola.”
One recent clip set to Austin Bop showed a woman miming stabbing herself and gagging, with a caption that read, “Happy Juneteenth to the METCALF family.” Other videos also played the song over what has been described as anti-Metcalf memes.
The controversial TikTok trend shows support for Karmelo Anthony
One such meme featured a photo of a funeral pavilion alongside the caption, “Austin wanted a tent…he got one.” The internet has apparently been in an uproar since Anthony’s first-degree murder conviction. Online trends like this have raised wider safety concerns, including a case where a viral challenge linked to a boy’s death is being investigated.
The conviction came roughly a year after Metcalf was stabbed in the heart during a fight over a seat under an awning at a track meet in Frisco, Texas. The outlet said Anthony was found guilty on June 9, 2026, of first-degree murder.
Supporters of Metcalf dismissed Anthony as a violent thug, while supporters of Anthony, who is reportedly black, said the charge was racist. Anthony’s supporters reportedly raised $625,000 for his legal fees. The outlet reported that angry users lashed out at both families directly. Metcalf supporters allegedly mailed copies of his obituary to the Anthony home, where Anthony had been staying under house arrest.
Anthony supporters allegedly “swatted” Metcalf’s parents three times with bogus police calls that reported crimes at their home. Demonstrators on both sides said to be swarmed the courthouse steps during the trial. The “guilty” verdict reportedly sparked angry chants, shouting matches, physical altercations, and two arrests, one Anthony supporter and one Metcalf supporter were arrested.
The Anthony family vowed to appeal the conviction, but supporters have not stopped what the outlet described as abuse. Another song called Austin Pack includes the lyrics: “We smokin’ that Austin Pack, b—h, I got a knife get back, b—h, give your brother a heart attack, b—h.”
These lyrics appear to be directed at Metcalf’s twin brother, Hunter, who reportedly held Austin as he bled out. According to the outlet, several users praised the videos as fair play after what they described as similar online trolling against Charlie Kirk and Trayvon Martin. Social media posts that target political figures have also led to legal action, including a case where a woman was sentenced over a TikTok video.
Some commenters on the TikTok videos appeared to object to the trend. A user wrote, “As a black Person this is genuinely not funny at all , a KID is DEAD.” Another commenter wrote, “this is so disrespectful.”
Published: Jun 25, 2026 01:19 pm