A jury has been selected in the trial of Karmelo Anthony, a Texas teenager accused of fatally stabbing another student during a confrontation at a high school track meet, setting the stage for opening arguments later this week.

Anthony, now 19, is charged with first-degree murder in connection with the April 2025 death of 17-year-old Austin Metcalf in Frisco. Although Anthony was 17 at the time of the incident, he is being tried as an adult under Texas law, which allows 17-year-olds to be prosecuted in adult court.

Opening statements are scheduled to begin Thursday, June 4, in Collin County. The 12-person jury selected for the case does not include any Black jurors, according to multiple local media reports, including FOX 4, NBC 5 DFW, and CBS News. Anthony is Black, while Metcalf was White.

Prosecutors argued during jury selection that the case should be considered “race-neutral,” stating that the circumstances did not require racial balancing on the panel. The jury was chosen from a pool of roughly 500 potential jurors, according to CBS News.

During selection, some prospective jurors were dismissed due to their employment in education, while others were removed after indicating that race could influence their judgment in the case.

Anthony’s defense team raised a Batson challenge, citing the 1986 Supreme Court ruling Batson v. Kentucky, which prohibits excluding jurors solely based on race. However, legal experts noted that such challenges are rarely successful in court, according to FOX 4 reporting.

Both Anthony and his legal team have maintained that he acted in self-defense. Prosecutors, however, strongly dispute that claim.

“This case has nothing to do with race,” prosecutor Bill Wirskye said during proceedings, according to NBC News. “This case is not self-defense. Unjustified provoked murder — that’s why we’re here this morning.”

Court documents previously reviewed by PEOPLE allege the confrontation began at Kuykendall Stadium during a track meet when Metcalf asked Anthony to move from under a tent.

According to an eyewitness account included in the probable cause affidavit, Anthony allegedly responded, “Touch me and see what happens.”

When Metcalf attempted to physically move him, Anthony allegedly pulled a knife from his backpack, stabbed Metcalf in the chest, and fled the area.

An arresting officer later ordered Anthony to put his hands up. According to the affidavit, he allegedly responded, “I was protecting myself.”

Investigators said the two students did not know each other prior to the incident.

Anthony’s defense attorney, Mike Howard, previously declined to address why his client was allegedly carrying a knife at the time, saying it was not a topic the defense was prepared to discuss at that stage of the proceedings, according to The Dallas Morning News.

The case has drawn significant public attention, with online fundraisers raising hundreds of thousands of dollars for both sides. A defense campaign for Anthony has reportedly surpassed $615,000, while a separate fundraiser for Metcalf’s family has raised nearly $580,000.

In the days leading up to trial, Metcalf’s twin brother, Hunter, accepted his brother’s posthumous diploma during Memorial High School’s graduation ceremony. Due to a gag order in the case, family members have not made public statements, according to WFAA.

The trial is expected to continue under intense scrutiny as both sides prepare to present their arguments to the jury.