A woman says she was jumped outside a Longview bar and heard her attackers shout “free Karmelo.” Three women have been arrested, the case has pulled in the FBI, and the town is bracing for fallout as questions about motive and race swirl through the headlines.
The alleged victim says the assault happened after she left Whiskey J’s during the overnight hours of June 20 into June 21. She posted photos showing injuries and claims she had no prior contact with the women who attacked her, making the allegation of a random, targeted assault especially chilling.
The three women listed on warrants are Ciarrianne Fuller, 21, and Alana Mumphrey, 25, both from Longview, and Dejae Shalyn Brown, 26, from Pittsburg. Records show Fuller was arrested and the other two surrendered; all three were booked and later released on bond.
Sammie Lee has publicly identified herself as the victim and says the attackers shouted “free Karmelo” as they moved in. Lee also wrote that the group told each other they planned to target “the smallest white girl they could find,” which, if true, turns an assault into a hate-driven scare that needs a full, transparent inquiry.
‘Any credible threat, any attempt to organize violence, and any effort to intimidate members of the community will be taken seriously and investigated appropriately.’
Local police say they are coordinating with the FBI because of online chatter they believe hints at retaliation and division among community members. A Longview Police Department spokesperson made it clear those channels are being monitored and investigators are treating any organized threat with urgency.
The legal backdrop is heavy. Karmelo Anthony was sentenced to 35 years for the stabbing death of Austin Metcalf at a high school track meet, and that case has stirred public passions in this region for more than a year. The verdict and the rhetoric around it have polarized people, and that polarization is the last thing a community needs when tempers flare on street corners.
There are several flashpoints that show how raw the situation has become: supporters of Anthony posted incendiary comments online, including the claim “Austin Metcalf got exactly what he deserved — point blank, period.” A spokesman for Anthony denounced “white supremacy” and urged a fight against bigotry. At trial, the prosecution moved to dismiss certain prospective jurors and one potential black juror said he would have a “hard time putting a brother in jail.” After the conviction, a Democratic congresswoman commented on fears black mothers live with, saying “black women, especially black women who have black male children, live in fear and agony every single day — a fear and agony that, I promise you, the Metcalfs probably never spend a day living that way.” A separate agitator described the outcome as “legally lynched.”
The local reaction mixes anger and calls for calm. People on all sides are fed up with violent rhetoric and the temptation to answer crime with more chaos. Law and order matters: assaults and organized attacks cannot be tolerated under any banner, and authorities should pursue every lead to hold people accountable.
‘Any credible threat, any attempt to organize violence, and any effort to intimidate members of the community will be taken seriously and investigated appropriately.’
At a moment when racial tensions can be stoked online in minutes, the practical Republican view is simple: enforce the law, protect victims, and reject violence no matter what grievance someone claims. The town needs clear answers, fair process, and steady policing that treats threats to public safety as crimes, not slogans.
