South Carolina Jury Acquits Store Owner In Shooting Death Of Black Teen

by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Chief International Correspondent

COLUMBIA, USA (Worthy News) – A South Carolina jury on Monday found a convenience store owner not guilty of murder in the 2023 shooting death of a Black 14-year-old boy, ending a closely watched case that fueled debate in the United States over race, self-defense laws, and the use of deadly force.

The jury acquitted Chikei Rick Chow, 61, in the fatal shooting of Cyrus Carmack-Belton, who was fatally shot after Chow and his son pursued him from their convenience store in Columbia, South Carolina. Chow admitted firing the shot that struck the teenager in the back but maintained he acted to protect his son.

The case drew national attention and prompted vigils and protests in Richland County, where nearly half the population is African American.

After the verdict was announced, members of Carmack-Belton’s family could be heard sobbing in the courtroom, while Chow sat silently before lowering his head into his hands, according to witnesses.

Prosecutors and defense attorneys offered sharply different accounts of what happened on the night of May 28, 2023.

CONFLICTING ACCOUNTS EMERGE

Prosecutors argued that Chow wrongly believed the teenager had stolen four bottles of water from the family-owned store and pursued him in anger. Surveillance footage shown during the trial indicated that Carmack-Belton picked up bottles of water but placed them back before leaving the store.

Defense lawyers countered that Chow acted in defense of his son, Andy Chow, after the teenager allegedly pointed a handgun at him during the chase.

“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.

Prosecutors acknowledged that Carmack-Belton was carrying a semiautomatic pistol. However, they argued that the weapon fell to the ground during the chase and that no credible evidence showed he pointed it at anyone.

Multiple witnesses testified that they did not see a gun in the teenager’s hands before the shooting.

RACE AND SELF-DEFENSE DEBATE

Richland County Solicitor Byron Gipson told jurors that Chow chased the teenager more than 130 yards (119 meters) before shooting him.

“Chased a kid down, shot him in the back,” Gipson said during closing arguments.

During his summation, Gipson placed a bottle of water before jurors and argued that the confrontation stemmed from a mistaken belief that the teenager had stolen bottled water.

“At the end of the day, he believed that a human is not more than that,” Gipson said, referring to the bottle of water.

Defense attorneys maintained that Chow made a split-second decision to protect his son and pointed to his efforts to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on Carmack-Belton after the shooting as evidence that he acted without malice.

COMMUNITY REACTION CONTINUES

The killing sparked protests outside the store and renewed debate over racial tensions, gun ownership, and self-defense claims in the United States.

Demonstrators gathered for vigils in the days after the shooting, with empty water bottles arranged to spell the teenager’s first name, “Cyrus.”

Controversy surrounding the verdict was expected to continue among community activists and family supporters who have argued that Carmack-Belton posed no immediate threat when he was shot.

The trial highlighted continuing divisions in the United States over race, perceived criminal activity, firearms, and self-defense laws.

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