The Verdict in the Shooting of 14-Year-old Cyrus Carmack-Belton Has the Internet Divided
"Our son mattered.”
Published June 4 2026, 2:26 p.m. ET
The death of Cyrus Carmack-Belton left the Columbia community grieving and demanding justice.
Cyrus, a 14-year-old Black middle school student in Columbia, South Carolina, died in May 2023 after a convenience store owner, Chikei “Rick” Chow, shot him in the back.
The shooting happened after Rick and his family wrongly believed Cyrus had stolen bottles of water from the store.
According to investigators and prosecutors, Cyrus fell during the pursuit, got back up, and kept running. A gun was later found near his body, per WLTX.
Prosecutors acknowledged that Cyrus had a semiautomatic pistol, but they argued he dropped it during the chase and never pointed it at anyone. Rick fired one shot, hitting Cyrus in the back.
What led up to Cyrus Carmack-Belton’s death?
According to ABC News, the incident started at a Shell gas station and convenience store on Parklane Road in Columbia. Authorities said Rick suspected Cyrus of shoplifting water. However, police and prosecutors said that the suspicion was wrong.
A verbal confrontation followed. Cyrus left the store and started running. Rick and his son followed him. During the chase, Rick's son reportedly said Cyrus had a gun. Rick had a concealed weapons permit and fired one shot.
The shot hit Cyrus in the lower back, and he died from a single gunshot wound that damaged his heart and caused hemorrhaging. Rick was charged with murder and pleaded not guilty.
His trial began in Richland County nearly three years after the shooting.
The prosecution argued that Rick acted out of anger after falsely accusing a child of stealing.
Prosecutor Byron E. Gipson told jurors the case came down to the value of Cyrus’ life. “Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, what is the value of a human life?” Byron asked. “To grieving parents who lost a 14-year-old to senseless acts of violence, a human life is priceless.”
Prosecutors stressed that multiple witnesses did not see Cyrus point a gun during the chase. Gipson told jurors, “Nobody testified that happened that doesn’t have the last name Chow.”
The defense argued Rick fired to protect his son. Defense attorneys said Cyrus had a loaded pistol and pointed it at Andy Chow. They argued Rick made a split-second decision because he believed his son was in danger.
What was the verdict? A South Carolina jury found Rick not guilty of murder
The jury deliberated for about eight hours before reaching the unanimous verdict on June 1, 2026. The courtroom reaction was emotional. Cyrus’ family cried after the verdict was read.
Rick sat silently, then bowed his head into his hands.
Cyrus’ family did not accept the verdict. In a statement released to ABC News, the family said jurors watched a video of their child running away from two grown men and still found that no one is to blame.
“Yesterday, a jury watched our 14-year-old boy run away from two grown men on video. They knew one of them shot him in the back, and they still said no one is to blame,” the family said. “We are heartbroken. We do not accept it. Cyrus stole nothing. He was a child, and he was running for his life. Our son mattered.”