Chikei Rick Chow, who shot Cyrus Carmack-Belton in the back after chasing him from a store in 2023, maintains his innocence.
COLUMBIA, S.C. — A South Carolina jury on Monday found a store owner not guilty of murder In 2023, a 14-year-old black teenager was shot and killed.
The jury returned a verdict against Chikei Rick Chow. Chow, 61, who is Asian, shot Cyrus Carmack-Belton in the back after chasing him through a Columbia convenience store. He insisted he acted to protect his son.
The killing sparked heated debate pain and sadness through the African-American neighborhoods of Richland County, where nearly half the population is black.
After the verdict was read, members of Carmack-Belton’s family sitting in the gallery let out sobs and cries of pain. Monday sat quietly without moving, then slowly lowered his head and placed it on his interlocked hands.
Defense lawyer Jack Swerling said they were very pleased with the verdict but also felt for Carmack Belton’s family.
“My heart goes out to them, but 14-year-olds should not be wandering the streets of Columbia or South Carolina with a semiautomatic handgun, ready to fire,” he said.
Todd Rutherford, an attorney representing the Carmack-Belton family, said the family is disappointed and has a hard time understanding the jury’s decision. WLTX reports.
“There’s no way a jury can justify this sentence for a kid who did nothing wrong and was shot in the back,” Rutherford said after the verdict. “I’ve been practicing law for almost 30 years. I’ve never seen anything like this. I don’t understand it.”
Rutherford spoke outside the Richland County Courthouse, with Carmack-Belton’s father, Troy Belton, standing next to him. Belton did not speak to reporters. Rutherford said the family was heartbroken by the outcome and asked supporters to remain peaceful despite their anger at the verdict.
“Tonight, the anger was palpable. You could feel it. You could touch it,” Rutherford said. “What we’re asking is that this anger doesn’t turn into anything other than words, go online and talk about it, discuss it, but don’t act like what those with evil intentions would think.”
Rutherford also said that although Zhou was acquitted, Zhou’s family still planned to continue to file a civil lawsuit against Zhou.
Prosecutors and defense attorneys painted different pictures of the 2023 shooting in closing arguments. Prosecutors said Zhou acted out of anger because he mistakenly believed the teen had stolen four bottles of water from the store. A defense attorney said Mr. Zhou only fired in his son’s defense after he pointed a gun at him.
“This case is not about shoplifters. This case is about a father seeing a gun pointed at his son and having to make a decision,” defense attorney Sean Kent told jurors during closing arguments. Defense attorneys said Zhou testified that Carmack-Belton pointed a gun at him.
Prosecutors acknowledged that Carmack-Belton owned a semiautomatic handgun, but they said it fell to the ground during the chase and that he never threatened anyone with it. Prosecutors said Chow chased the teen more than 130 yards from the store.
Gipson told jurors that Zhou “chased a child and shot him in the back.”
During closing arguments, Gipson placed a bottle of water in front of jurors. Gibson said Zhou “ultimately believed that humans were just that.”
Gipson said multiple witnesses testified they did not see anything in Carmack-Belton’s hands or that he pointed a gun as he fled the store.
“No one has proven that this happened to anyone other than Zhou,” Gibson said.
The fatal shooting sparked vigils and protests outside the store. At a vigil in 2023, empty water bottles were arranged to spell out “Cyrus.”
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. all rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
