A disturbing social media trend has emerged on TikTok, where users dance and reenact the fatal stabbing of murder victim Austin Metcalf, mocking the 2025 killing that sent his attacker to prison for 35 years.

Dancing Videos Reenact Fatal Stabbing

The trend, called the Austin Bop, features videos of people dancing while making repeated stabbing motions toward the chest area. The videos often include laughing emojis and appear designed to mock Metcalf’s death. Supporters of convicted killer Karmelo Anthony have posted these videos across TikTok, with some participants wielding knives during their performances. The videos spread rapidly after Anthony received a 35-year prison sentence for Metcalf’s murder.

Social media monitoring accounts documented the trend, with Right Angle News Network sharing a compilation of the videos. Multiple clips show participants making thrusting motions synchronized to music referencing the victim’s death. The videos have sparked widespread condemnation across social media platforms, with critics calling the content a celebration of violence and an attack on basic human decency.

Background on the Murder Case

Karmelo Anthony was convicted in 2025 for the fatal stabbing of Austin Metcalf. Witnesses in the trial revealed Metcalf’s final words before his death. The case concluded with Anthony receiving a 35-year prison sentence. The emergence of the mocking TikTok trend occurred shortly after the sentencing became public. The trend represents an attempt by Anthony’s supporters to glorify the crime and disrespect the victim’s memory through social media performance.

Public Response and Concerns

Critics have labeled the trend as evidence of a broader cultural problem that glorifies violence and shows contempt for crime victims. Social media users expressed outrage over the videos, noting they transform a family’s tragedy into entertainment. The trend raises questions about social media platform moderation and whether such content violates community standards. Many commentators noted the videos demonstrate a disturbing lack of empathy and basic moral standards. The mockery of a murder victim through dance challenges represents a new low in social media behavior, according to numerous observers who documented the trend’s spread across multiple platforms.