On May 28, 2023, 14-year-old Cyrus Carmack-Belton was fatally shot in the back outside a Shell gas station and convenience store on Parklane Road in Columbia, South Carolina. The shooter, Chikei “Rick” Chow, then 61, the store’s owner, and his adult son Andy pursued the teenager after suspecting him of stealing four $1 bottles of water. Surveillance footage reviewed during the subsequent investigation and trial showed Carmack-Belton handling the bottles inside the store but placing them back in the cooler before leaving empty-handed; no stolen items were found on his body.
Chow and his son chased Carmack-Belton roughly 100–130 yards down the street. Chow then fired a single shot that struck the teenager in the lower back. An autopsy confirmed the wound was consistent with Carmack-Belton running away at the time. The teen was carrying a loaded 9mm pistol with a laser sight, but prosecutors maintained he never brandished or pointed it during the incident. Chow and his son testified that Carmack-Belton had pointed the gun at Andy, prompting the father to shoot in defense of his son. No independent witnesses corroborated seeing the gun drawn.
Chow was charged with murder. His defense argued the shooting was justified self-defense. After a four-day trial in Richland County, a jury deliberated for nearly eight hours and returned a not-guilty verdict on June 1, 2026.
The case drew significant attention in Columbia’s African American community, where many viewed the shooting as an unjustified killing of a child over a minor, ultimately unfounded accusation. Carmack-Belton’s family expressed shock and devastation after the verdict, with his mother stating the jury’s decision was “unfathomable” given that her son was shot while fleeing. Family attorney Todd Rutherford called the self-defense claim “a lie and a farce.” Community members held protests at the former gas station and memorials for the teen.
Chow’s attorneys defended the acquittal, emphasizing the father’s stated fear for his son’s life. The store had a documented history of prior crimes, though that was not central to the trial. The family has indicated plans to pursue a civil lawsuit. The verdict has left deep divisions in the community over issues of self-defense, pursuit of suspected shoplifters, and justice for a 14-year-old who never made it home.
SOURCES:
Rick Chow found not guilty in shooting death of Cyrus Carmack-Belton | CNN
Rick Chow found not guilty of murder in death of Cyrus Carmack-Belton
SC parents of slain boy decried Chow’s not-guilty verdict | The State
Look back at 3 years from shooting to Rick Chow verdict
