Rick Chow was found not guilty of murder in the fatal shooting of 14-year-old Cyrus Carmack-Belton. A South Carolina jury briefly deliberated on Monday before delivering a verdict in the tragic case that left a community torn.

Convenience Store Murder

Carmack-Belton was shopping at a Shell Convenience Store owned and operated by Chow and his family in Columbia, South Carolina, in May of 2023. The victim allegedly stuffed four water bottles into his backpack and attempted to steal, defense attorneys argued during the trial. 

Prosecutors say that he put the bottles back and did not end up stealing anything from the store, but was still chased off the property towards nearby apartment buildings, where he was ultimately shot in the back mid-stride. 

Chow’s defense team argued that he shot the victim in self-defense of his son, who Carmack-Belton allegedly pointed a gun at before running. He maintained his intentions throughout the trial and never denied shooting and killing the victim, but claimed that he did so without malice.

“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 said during closing arguments Monday.

Shooter Found Not Guilty

Carmack-Belton’s death sent shock waves through Richland County, which is a predominantly Black community. Many were upset, angry, and downright devastated by the events that took place. 

As the verdict was read, the victim’s family, seated in the gallery, was audibly upset. They were heard sobbing and crying out in distress. Chow was seated at the front with his attorneys and was shocked to hear the verdict. He sat frozen before the realization hit, and he put his head into his hands.

The Defense is Pleased

Defense attorney Jack Swerling said they are pleased with the outcome, but that it is hard when the other side is dealing with an irreversible loss. “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,” he said.

Defense claimed at trial that Carmack-Belton had a semiautomatic pistol on him, and that Chow’s son, Andy, saw him drop it into his pocket in the store when being confronted by Chow’s wife about the water bottles. When he went to leave, and Andy followed him for another confrontation, the victim pointed it at him. 

While Swerling is not wrong that a young teen should not be on the streets with a loaded firearm, his comment is insensitive to the family, the community, and the situation. There is a time and place for the words, and it is not during another moment of loss for the victim’s family.

Civil Lawsuit

An attorney and representative in the South Carolina Legislature stood with Carmack-Belton’s father as they announced their disagreement with the verdict and their intentions of a civil lawsuit. “This makes us feel as if our children don’t matter, and they do,” Todd Rutherford said. 

“This makes us feel like Cyrus’ life didn’t matter, and it did.”

“I’ve been practicing law for almost 30 years. I’ve never seen anything like this. I don’t understand it,” he said.

Seeds of Doubt

Rick Chow may have been found not guilty by a jury of his peers, but the public may never know the truth of what happened between him and Carmack-Belton. Multiple eyewitnesses testified they never saw the victim with a gun or anything in his hands. Video footage also never showed him pointing a gun at anyone.

The prosecution confirmed Carmack-Belton had possession of the pistol, but argued he never used it, and it fell out of his pocket as he was running for his life. One might question why the Chows chased the victim to begin with. If he was leaving the store, would it not have been safer to stay inside the store and report the threat to the police?

At that point, the threat had been extinguished, and they should not have feared for their lives once he left the premises. There seemed to be no reason to shoot and in the back no less. However, the defense did their job and planted enough seeds of doubt into the jurors’ heads, letting a potential murderer go free.