from June 1, 2026:
Chikei Rick Chow, 61, shot Cyrus Carmack-Belton in the back after chasing him from his convenience store in Columbia. He maintained he acted
A South Carolina jury on Monday found a store owner not guilty of murder in the 2023 shooting of a Black 14-year-old. Chikei Rick Chow, 61, who is Asian, shot Cyrus Carmack-Belton in the back after chasing him from his convenience store in Columbia, but maintained he acted to defend his son. The killing sent waves of anguish and grief through the African American community in Richland County, where nearly half the population is Black. After the verdict was read, sobs and cries of distress could be heard coming from Carmack-Belton's family seated in the gallery. Chow sat silently frozen before slowly bowing his head onto his interlocked hands. [...] "This case is not about a shoplifter. This case is about a father who sees a gun pointed at his son and had to make a decision," defense attorney Shaun Kent told jurors during closing arguments. The defense attorney said Andy Chow testified that Carmack-Belton pointed a gun at him. Prosecutors acknowledged Carmack-Belton had a semiautomatic pistol, but they say it fell on the ground during the chase, and he never threatened anyone with it. Prosecutors said Chow chased the teen more than 130 yards from the store. There was no indication that the teen and Chow had a fight in the store before Carmack-Belton ran away, Richland County Coroner Nadia Rutherford said at the time. She also confirmed the teen died from a gunshot wound to the right lower back, "consistent with someone who was running away." [...] Gipson said multiple witnesses testified that they didn't see anything in Carmack-Belton's hands and didn't see him point a gun as he ran from the store. "Nobody testified that happened that doesn't have the last name Chow," Gipson said.
The family of Cyrus Carmack-Belton expressed their indignation towards a juryâs decision to acquit Chikei Rick Chow in the 2023 fatal shooti
âYesterday a jury watched our 14-year-old boy run away from two grown men on video. They knew one of them shot him in the back and they still said no one is to blame,â the family said in a statement first released to ABC News. âWe are heartbroken. We do not accept it. Cyrus stole nothing. He was a child, and he was running for his life. Our son mattered.â [...] âTo everyone hurting with us: honor Cyrus in peace. We will not stop. Weâre taking this fight to civil court, and we will not rest until our sonâs life is given the dignity this verdict denied him,â the family added. According to family attorney Todd Rutherford, the family filed a civil lawsuit against Rick Chow in Richland County, which was put on hold until the conclusion of the criminal case.
We have started this GoFundMe to help support the family of Cyrus Carmack-Belton and ⊠Todd Rutherford needs your support for Justice for Cy
You can still donate to them to Cyrus' family. They never fully completed their goal for his funeral costs in 2023, and as they plan to continue a legal fight, they need all the funds they can get.
