Chikei Rick Chow Faces Murder Trial Over 2023 Shooting of 14-Year-Old Cyrus Carmack-Belton
Updated
Updated · The Associated Press · May 27
Chikei Rick Chow Faces Murder Trial Over 2023 Shooting of 14-Year-Old Cyrus Carmack-Belton
3 articles · Updated · The Associated Press · May 27
A South Carolina jury heard opening statements Wednesday in the murder trial of store owner Chikei Rick Chow, 61, over the 2023 fatal shooting of 14-year-old Cyrus Carmack-Belton during a chase from his Columbia gas station.
Prosecutors said Chow wrongly accused the teen of stealing four bottles of water, chased him more than 130 yards and shot him in the back even though the boy never threatened anyone with the pistol later found nearby.
Defense lawyers argued Carmack-Belton pointed the semiautomatic pistol at Chow’s son, forcing Chow to make a split-second decision to protect him; they also cited Chow’s CPR efforts as evidence he acted without malice.
Witness Lori Carson testified Carmack-Belton looked frightened as he ran, that she never saw a gun in his hands, and that she later saw Chow in a shooting position while the teen was on the ground.
The 2023 killing sparked protests in Richland County, where nearly half the population is Black, and the trial is expected to last several days.
He shot a fleeing teen in the back and was found not guilty. What does this verdict reveal about self-defense laws?
Acquitted of murder, a shooter now faces a civil suit. Can two courts deliver two different forms of justice for one death?
Not Guilty Verdict in Chikei Rick Chow Trial: Self-Defense, Racial Tensions, and Community Outcry After the Killing of Cyrus Carmack-Belton, 14
Overview
On June 1, 2026, a jury in Columbia, S.C., found Chikei Rick Chow not guilty in the murder trial for the shooting of 14-year-old Cyrus Carmack-Belton, immediately sparking strong and divided reactions in the community. The family’s visible distress highlighted the emotional impact, while the verdict fueled broader debates about justice and race. Central to the trial was the defense’s reliance on South Carolina’s self-defense laws, including 'Stand Your Ground' and citizen’s arrest, which shaped the jury’s decision. A judge’s ruling ensured the case went to trial, leaving the jury to decide if Chow’s actions met the legal standard for self-defense.