In the early evening of May 28, 2023, a trip to a convenience store in Columbia, South Carolina, turned fatal for 14-year-old Cyrus Monroe Carmack-Belton, a Black male. The teenager was at the Xpress Mart Shell station on Parklane Road when the store's owner, Rick Chow, who is Asian, wrongly accused him of shoplifting four bottles of water. Surveillance footage later confirmed that Carmack-Belton had returned the items to the cooler.
A verbal confrontation ensued, after which
Carmack-Belton fled the store. Chow and his son pursued the teenager. During the chase, which stretched for about 500 feet, Carmack-Belton fell. Chow's son reportedly claimed he saw Carmack-Belton with a gun. Subsequently, Rick Chow fired a single shot that struck the fleeing teenager in the back. Authorities later found a gun near Carmack-Belton's body but stated there was no evidence he had ever pointed it at Chow or his son.
The gunshot wound to his right lower back proved fatal, causing significant damage to his heart and leading to a hemorrhage. The Richland County Coroner classified the death as a homicide, emphasizing that it was an intentional shooting. The incident sparked outrage and protests within the community.
Rick Chow, who was 58 at the time, was arrested and charged with murder. He was booked into the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center. During legal proceedings, Chow's attorneys argued for his release on bond, claiming he was not a threat to the community. However, bond was denied. His legal team also attempted to use South Carolina's 'Stand Your Ground' law as a defense, asserting that Chow feared for his and his son's life. A judge ultimately denied this motion, ruling that the circumstances did not meet the legal requirements for such a defense, particularly as evidence indicated Carmack-Belton was shot while running away. In addition to the criminal charges, the family of Cyrus Carmack-Belton has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Rick Chow and his family.
