False Karmelo Anthony claims, fake Austin Metcalf autopsy drive Frisco stabbing misinformation surge
In the wake of the fatal stabbing at a Frisco high school track meet, the CBS News Texas I-Team found a surge of misinformation has swept through social media platforms, causing confusion and fear.
High-profile X accounts (formerly Twitter), including @EndWokeness and @LibsofTikTok, quickly amplified the incident just hours after it occurred on April 2, claiming it received "zero national outrage" and didn't "fit the narrative." These posts garnered nearly 50 million views.
Fabricated details and a fake Austin Metcalf autopsy report
Soon after, a fake X account posing as the Frisco Police Chief began disseminating fabricated details about the investigation. The next day, a fake autopsy report surfaced on Facebook, falsely claiming drugs were involved. The disinformation continued to spread, with fake Instagram screenshots of guns further fueling anger and uncertainty.
The CBS News Confirm team, along with law enforcement, confirmed these social media posts to be fabricated.
While most misinformation posted online is not a crime, impersonating a police officer is. The Frisco Police Department, along with the FBI, is investigating the fake X account that impersonated the police chief.
Tracking down the original creators of misinformation is challenging, as people post anonymously, the content spreads quickly, and original posts can be deleted or edited long before anyone figures out who is behind them.
Changes in Meta may have contributed to Facebook fake news
Dr. Daxton "Chip" Stewart, a journalism professor at Texas Christian University specializing in social media and free speech, explained that while the spread of disinformation online isn't new, recent changes by Meta—the parent company of Facebook and Instagram—have, in his opinion, exacerbated the problem.
Earlier this year, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced the end of the use of fact-checkers on their platforms, relying instead on users to flag misinformation through a feature called Community Notes, similar to what Elon Musk's social platform X uses. The official removal of third-party fact-checkers on Meta platforms happened earlier this month.
Threats against Karmelo Anthony's family and security at Austin Metcalf's funeral
The consequences of this disinformation on the fatal Frisco stabbing case have been severe.
Both the victim and the suspect's families have had their home addresses posted online and have received threats. Extra security was present at the funeral of Austin Metcalf due to online posts.
