A South Carolina jury has found convenience store owner Chikei Rick Chow not guilty of murder in the 2023 fatal shooting of 14-year-old Cyrus Carmack-Belton, a case that drew widespread attention and sparked protests across the Columbia area.

The verdict, delivered Monday, brought sharply different reactions inside the courtroom. Members of Carmack-Belton’s family broke into tears and cries of anguish as the decision was read. Meanwhile, Chow remained motionless before slowly lowering his head into his clasped hands.

The case centered on whether Chow acted out of anger after wrongly suspecting the teenager of shoplifting or whether he was protecting his son from a perceived deadly threat.

Defense Says Father Acted To Protect His Son

During closing arguments, defense attorney Shaun Kent argued that the shooting was not driven by a suspected theft but by a father’s instinct to protect his child.

“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.

According to the defense, Chow’s son, Andy Chow, testified that Carmack-Belton pointed a firearm at him during the confrontation.

Chow, 61, who owns a convenience store in Columbia, admitted to shooting the teenager after pursuing him from the business. However, the defense maintained that his actions were justified because he believed his son faced an immediate threat.

Prosecutors Challenged Self-Defense Claim

Prosecutors presented a very different version of events.

While acknowledging that Carmack-Belton possessed a semiautomatic pistol, prosecutors argued the firearm fell to the ground during the chase and was never used to threaten anyone.

They contended that Chow pursued the teen for more than 130 yards from the store before firing the fatal shot.

Solicitor Byron E. Gipson told jurors that Chow “chased a kid down, shot him in the back.”

Prosecutors repeatedly emphasized that several witnesses failed to corroborate claims that the teenager pointed a weapon during the incident.

Gipson argued that witness testimony consistently showed the teen running away without threatening anyone.

“Nobody testified that happened that doesn’t have the last name Chow,” Gipson said.

Medical Findings Became Key Evidence

Evidence from the Richland County Coroner’s Office played a significant role during the trial.

Richland County Coroner Nadia Rutherford previously stated there was no indication of a physical altercation inside the store before Carmack-Belton fled the scene.

She also confirmed the teenager died from a gunshot wound to the lower right side of his back, describing the injury as “consistent with someone who was running away.”

That finding became a central point for prosecutors as they sought to undermine the self-defense argument.

Emotional Courtroom Moments

The case carried deep emotional weight throughout Richland County, where nearly half the population is Black.

Following the verdict, visible grief filled the courtroom as family members reacted to the jury’s decision.

The shooting had already become a flashpoint in the community after Carmack-Belton’s death in 2023. Vigils and demonstrations were organized outside the convenience store, with supporters demanding accountability.

At one memorial gathering, participants arranged empty water bottles to spell out the teen’s first name, creating a powerful symbol tied to the allegations that initially sparked the confrontation.

Water Bottles Became A Symbol In The Case

Prosecutors argued that the entire encounter stemmed from a mistaken belief that Carmack-Belton had stolen four bottles of water.

During his closing argument, Gipson placed a bottle of water before jurors as he sought to drive home that point.

Gipson said that Chow “at the end of the day, believed that a human is not more than that.”

The prosecution maintained that the suspected theft accusation was unfounded and escalated into a deadly pursuit.

Store’s History Also Drew Attention

The trial also brought renewed scrutiny to incidents that occurred at Chow’s Xpress Mart Shell station before the fatal shooting.

Authorities previously reported that Chow had shot a shoplifting suspect in one encounter and fired at another shoplifter’s vehicle in a separate incident years earlier. Officials determined both cases involved self-defense.

Records also showed law enforcement responded to hundreds of calls involving the store between 2018 and 2023. Those incidents included reports of assaults, thefts, shoplifting, vehicle thefts, vandalism, robberies and burglaries.

Even with the not guilty verdict, the case is likely to remain a source of debate in South Carolina as community members continue to grapple with questions surrounding self-defense, race, gun possession and the use of deadly force.