The father of slain teenager Austin Metcalf, whose April 2nd death instantly sparked national conversations on race, culture, and crime, has spoken out now several times about how he has forgiven his son’s killer over making a “bad choice.” His comments themselves sparked an intense conversation online as to how Christians should react to these horrific situations, as both mercy and retribution can be cited in Biblical teachings.
Initial reports described the fatal encounter as quickly escalating from a comment by Metcalf to the other teenager, Karmelo Anthony, to move seats. It has been reported Anthony was in an area designated for students from Metcalf’s school. When his request to move was denied, Metcalf is thought to have moved a backpack belonging to Anthony, and in that moment, the latter pulled out a knife and immediately plunged it into the heart of an unsuspecting Metcalf.
As unthinkable as this tragedy is, the father of the slain victim appeared on television and, despite what had just transpired, offered a response only made possible by unwavering faith. His voice quavering, he nonetheless recounted those awful moments. Worth noting is that the father, while quick to forgive, also made no apologies for the act, describing it as “murder.” Presumably, if not hopefully, he would support the criminal justice system responding with a heavy hand toward the aggressing Anthony.
“I’m not trying to judge, but what kind of parents did this child have?” the father asked in one interview shortly after his son’s death. “What was he taught? He brought a knife to a track meet, and he murdered my son by stabbing him in the heart. The son, the guy was in the wrong place. They asked him to move, and he bowed up.”
And while the internet has been quick to either condemn his forgiveness toward the killer, the father’s forgiveness is how his faith is allowing him to overcome the senseless violence and loss. Holding onto anger and resentment won’t bring his son back. And at the same time, he recognizes the act the occurred and calls it for what it is.
“This is murder,” he plainly stated in the same interview. “I know they have someone in custody. And you know what? I already forgive this person. Already, already God takes care of things. God’s gonna take care of me. God’s gonna take care of my family,” he added.
In a follow-up interview a few days later, the father doubled down on this sentiment, not wrongly pointing out that two lives were irrevocably changed that day. His son’s future was eliminated, but so too was the other young man’s who made that spontaneously egregious decision. “It’s very unfortunate that this other child decide to make a bad choice that’s going to affect him for the rest of his life. I have compassion for every human being,” he said of the matter.