Pardoned January 6 defendant organized Frisco stabbing protest
FRISCO – In the wake of a fatal Frisco high school stabbing, people far from Texas have amplified the story on social media, often injecting misinformation to push false narratives.
This misinformation has come from individuals claiming to support Austin Metcalf, as well as those claiming to support Karmelo Anthony, despite having no connection to the families or the community.
This week, a flyer has been circulating online to promote a protest. The flyer uses a picture of Metcalf with the banner reading "Protect White Americans."
The organizer of the protest, according to the flyer, is Jake Lang. Lang was charged with attacking police at the U.S. Capitol on January 6. He was pardoned earlier this year by President Donald Trump. Lang is now running for U.S. Senate in Florida.
The flyer has been shared by dozens of high-profile social media accounts, with one post on X receiving 5.3 million views.
The initial flyer misspelled "Friso" and got the name of a local high school wrong, "Wakefield," while also incorrectly claiming this is where the stabbing took place. The stabbing took place at a track meet at Kuykendall Stadium. The latest version of the flyer now shows a new location for the protest.
The Frisco Police Department said it is aware of the scheduled protest and put out a statement on social media yesterday saying, "Officers will be on-hand to ensure the safety of the public while allowing protestors to exercise their 1st Amendment rights in a peaceful manner."
The day after the fatal stabbing, the father of Austin Metcalf pleaded on national television for his family's tragedy not to be turned into a race or political issue. Jeff Metcalf said on Fox News on April 3rd, "I want to clarify something right off the start because I've already heard some rumors and gossip. This was not a race thing. This was not a political thing."
