Jake Lang, a far-right activist who has become a familiar face at protests and courthouse demonstrations, was taken into custody this week and charged with making a terroristic threat after, according to video and court records, he threatened to kill Karmelo Anthony outside the Collin County Courthouse in McKinney. Investigators say footage shows Lang talking about waiting outside the courthouse and delivering a "headshot." Officials report he was detained while trying to leave Texas and is now being held on a $1 million bond.
Video and identification
Fresh court filings and livestream clips show Lang clashing with people gathered outside the courthouse on the first day of testimony. At one point, he appears to say "Headshot. Done" and responds "Yes. Yes, I will" when asked whether he would kill Anthony, according to CBS News Texas. That reporting states the Texas Fusion Center watched livestreams and social media posts, then used facial-recognition tools to confirm Lang as the man in the video. Prosecutors cite those statements along with his repeated courthouse appearances as the basis for the terroristic-threat charge.
Arrest and bond
According to local coverage and jail records, Lang was arrested as he attempted to leave the state and booked on a terroristic-threat charge, with bond set at $1 million, Dallas Observer reports. Reporters at the courthouse note that Lang had been given a 30-day criminal-trespass warning days earlier and came back despite the order. Authorities say they are holding back some details of the arrest while the investigation is still active.
Where this fits in the Frisco case
The threats unfolded around the murder trial of Karmelo Anthony, who was convicted and sentenced in connection with the April 2, 2025, fatal stabbing of 17-year-old Austin Metcalf at Kuykendall Stadium, according to Texas Public Radio. The high-profile case pulled national attention to Frisco, drew daily protesters to the Collin County Courthouse, and prompted stepped-up security measures during the trial. Prosecutors told jurors that external pressure and direct threats pose a serious risk to jurors and court staff.
The charge and what it carries
Lang faces a charge under Texas law for making a terroristic threat, which covers threats meant to put people in fear or disrupt public functions. If he is prosecuted under the statute’s more severe subsections, it can be treated as a third-degree felony, with a potential sentence of about two to ten years in prison, according to legal summaries of Texas Penal Code §22.07. Defense lawyers in politically charged cases often raise First Amendment concerns, yet courts have consistently held that so-called "true threats" fall outside the protections of free speech.
What’s next
Lang is set to appear in Collin County for a bond hearing before Judge John Roach Jr., who also presided over the Anthony trial, and prosecutors say they will keep reviewing livestreams and filings tied to the case, according to CBS News Texas. That outlet also reports Lang has an online fundraising account that has taken in nearly $50,000, and that the platform temporarily shut down a separate page created for the Metcalf family. County officials say courthouse security and threat monitoring will remain under close watch as the case moves ahead.
Backstory and local reaction
Lang first became widely known for his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, unrest at the U.S. Capitol and was later pardoned by President Trump, a history that has followed him to Collin County and added fuel to local political divides, The Washington Post reports. Community leaders across the region have urged residents to keep tensions in check as both families and the court system work through the fallout of the stabbing, the verdict, and now the threat case involving Lang. This story will be updated as new court filings and official statements are released.
