On Monday, a jury in South Carolina found a store owner not guilty of murder in the 2023 shooting of a 14-year-old Black teen. Chikei Rick Chow, a 61-year-old Asian man, shot Cyrus Carmack-Belton in the back after a chase from his Columbia convenience store. Chow maintained that he acted to protect his son. This incident deeply affected the African American community in Richland County, where nearly half the population is Black.

After the verdict was announced, Carmack-Belton’s family expressed their distress with sobs and cries. Chow remained silent, eventually bowing his head. During the trial, defense and prosecution offered different perspectives on the shooting. Prosecutors argued that Chow acted out of anger, believing the teen had stolen water bottles. In contrast, the defense attorney stated that Chow fired in defense after the teen aimed a gun at his son, Andy Chow.

Defense attorney Shaun Kent told jurors, “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.” Andy Chow testified to seeing a gun pointed at him. Prosecutors conceded that Carmack-Belton had a semiautomatic pistol, but they claimed it fell during the chase and the teen never threatened anyone.

The prosecutor, Byron E. Gipson, argued that Chow “chased a kid down, shot him in the back.” There was no evidence of a confrontation between Chow and Carmack-Belton in the store before the teen ran away. According to Richland County Coroner Nadia Rutherford, the teen died from a gunshot wound to the right lower back, consistent with running away.

During the trial, Gipson highlighted the case’s gravity by placing a bottle of water before the jurors, arguing that Chow valued a bottle more than a life. Several witnesses testified that they did not see Carmack-Belton holding or aiming a gun during his escape. “Nobody testified that happened who doesn’t have the last name Chow,” Gipson remarked.

The shooting led to protests and vigils outside the store, where empty water bottles were arranged to spell “Cyrus.” Before this incident, Chow had shot a shoplifter and fired at another’s vehicle in prior confrontations. These were deemed self-defense cases. Between 2018 and 2023, authorities responded to numerous calls involving assaults, thefts, and other crimes at Chow’s store.