Seventeen-year-old Karmelo Anthony, charged with fatally stabbing fellow student Austin Metcalf during a Frisco, Texas track meet on April 2, is now out on bond and living in a high-end gated community—raising eyebrows. Originally held on $1 million bond, Anthony was released after it was reduced to $250,000. He’s now staying in a nearly $1 million rental home in the affluent Richwoods neighborhood, just blocks from Centennial High School. Neighbors are shocked. “This doesn’t sit right,” said one local parent.

Despite claims of financial hardship in court, the family’s upscale lifestyle—three vehicles, a newly purchased car, and $3,500 monthly rent—has fueled criticism, especially as their GiveSendGo fundraiser has raised over $440,000. The page claims Anthony acted in self-defense and calls online backlash “damaging.”

Anthony’s lawyer says the funds are going toward legal fees and private security due to safety concerns. However, prosecutors questioned why some money wasn’t used for bond. The family says accessing the funds hasn’t been simple.

Anthony is under house arrest with an ankle monitor and constant adult supervision as the case awaits trial. Meanwhile, local tension is rising, and some residents are calling for the family to relocate.

The case has sparked debate over justice, privilege, and how money influences legal outcomes.