An activist group that has been strongly supporting Karmelo Anthony, the Texas teen who is facing murder charges for allegedly stabbing to death fellow teen Austin Metcalf at a track meet, have shared a strange POV-style video on social media. The video shows Anthony's their security team escorting him from jail after he was released on a bond.
The bizarre video, released by the Next Generation Action Network (NGAN), shows a member of the group's security detail talking to Anthony and shaking his hand as he instructs him to "stay close" and "get behind us" when they walk past the members of the press waiting outside the Collin County Jail.
Much Like a Propaganda Video
As the video moves forward, a female reporter is seen running toward Anthony with a microphone. She holds the microphone near the alleged killer's face and asks if he any message for the Metcalf family. She also asks why he was carrying a weapon on that day, calling to him "sweetheart."
Anthony, as instructed by his security team, remains silent as he continues to walks toward the vehicle. As he reaches the vehicle, his security team guides him into the backseat, the video shows.
The video immediately faced backlash, with many slamming it for portraying Anthony as a "celebrity"—especially after it was revealed that his family lives in an upscale gated community and had recently bought a new car after his release.
One user slamming the video wrote on X, "This is sickening, he is not a hero."
"It's the Mangione effect. Everyone has been primed and they are setting up another side show," another user wrote, referring Anthony to UnitedHealth CEO's alleged killer Luigi Mangione.
"He's not a sweetheart. He's a murderer," a third user posted.
NGAN said in the video clip that it has been running his own internal security team for a long time, which "steps up to protect and support families during times of crisis."
"What you witnessed yesterday was not new to us," the post read. "It was simply a reflection of the critical, consistent work we've been doing for over a decade."
"This is what Team NGAN looks like. This is what people-powered justice looks like," the group added.
Shocking Lifestyle
This came as it emerged that Anthony and his family has been living in an upscale $900,000 home in a gated community even after he pleaded to the court to reduce his $1 million bond, citing financial difficulties.
Anthony, 17, has been living in a luxurious home inside the gated Richwoods community in Frisco, Texas, after he was released from jail on Monday on a much lower bond of $250,000.
The sprawling property—which comes at a rent of around $3,500 per month—had a white Suburban, a black Acura, and another sedan parked in the driveway on Tuesday, the Daily Mail reported. A neighbor told the outlet that the family had recently purchased a new car.
"He got a new car. If you look at the license plate, it's got a paper tag, and it says it expires June 4," the resident told the outlet.
The Richwoods community is nearly a mile from Centennial High School, where Anthony was a student and ran track.
According to reports, the residents in the neighborhood didn't know that the family had moved into the home until Anthony was released on Monday. Since then, several neighbors have been feeling uncomfortable about having a murder suspect living next to them in their luxurious gated community.
