A South Carolina jury has found 61-year-old store owner Chikei “Rick” Chow not guilty of murder in the 2023 fatal shooting of 14-year-old Cyrus Carmack-Belton.
The verdict was reached on Monday, June 1, 2026, following three days of evidence and approximately eight hours of jury deliberation.
The incident occurred in Columbia when Chow chased the teenager from his convenience store, mistakenly believing the teen had stolen four bottles of water.
Prosecutor argued the shooting was unprovoked and noted that Chow chased the boy over 130 yards before shooting him in the back.
During closing arguments, Solicitor Byron E. Gipson criticized the actions, stating that Chow “chased a kid down, shot him in the back” and warned that he “at the end of the day, believed that a human is not more than that.”
Conversely, the defense maintained the shooting was an act of self-defense for Chow’s son. Defense attorney Shaun Kent argued to the jury:
“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.”
While the family of the victim expressed visible distress in the courtroom, Chow’s defense team stated they were pleased with the verdict, with attorney Jack Swerling remarking:
“My heart goes out to them but 14-year-old kid should not be roaming the streets of Columbia or South Carolina with semiautomatic pistol loaded and ready to fire.”
