Jury Acquits Store Owner in Shooting Death of Black Teen
A jury in South Carolina found store owner Chikei Rick Chow not guilty of murder in the shooting of 14-year-old Cyrus Carmack-Belton, who was pursued and shot in the back after being suspected of shoplifting.
A South Carolina jury has acquitted Chikei Rick Chow of murder charges related to the shooting of 14-year-old Cyrus Carmack-Belton in 2023. During the trial, Chow, who is 61 and of Asian descent, claimed he acted in defense of his son when he shot Carmack-Belton as the teen ran from his convenience store in Columbia.
Following the verdict, emotional reactions were evident from Carmack-Belton's family, while Chow remained composed, bowing his head in silence. Defense attorney Jack Swerling expressed sympathy for the victim's family but asserted that the circumstances warranted Chow's actions, emphasizing that a minor should not be armed with a loaded weapon.
The prosecution argued that Chow shot Carmack-Belton out of anger after mistakenly believing the teen had stolen items from the store. Prosecutors acknowledged that Carmack-Belton was armed with a semiautomatic pistol, but contended that it fell during the chase and that he posed no immediate threat to Chow or his son. Solicitor Byron E. Gipson criticized Chow's actions, stating he "chased a kid down and shot him in the back," and noted a lack of evidence supporting Chow's claims of self-defense. Witness testimonies indicated that Carmack-Belton did not point a weapon while fleeing. The incident sparked widespread protests and vigils in the community, drawing attention to underlying issues of violence and race.
