Rick Chow, the 58-year-old owner of a Columbia convenience store, is currently being held in jail on murder charges following the shooting death of a 14-year-old boy, Cyrus Carmack-Belton, on Memorial Day weekend
Chow’s bond will be set at a later date, according to a magistrate judge.
The tragic event occurred after an alleged argument between Carmack-Belton and Chow inside Chow’s Parklane Road store on Sunday evening, according to Richland County officials. The shooting is said to have taken place in the aftermath of the altercation.
Who is gas station owner Rick Chow who shot Cyrus Carmack-Belton dead in Parklane Road, Columbia
In a hearing held at the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center where Chow is detained, both Chow and his attorney, Columbia lawyer James Snell, declined to make any statements. Todd Rutherford’s firm, representing Carmack-Belton’s family, also refrained from comment.
Cyrus Carmack-Belton, a 14-year old Black boy in South Carolina was shot to death yesterday by gas station owner Rick Chow over a bottle of water he “thought” he was stealing. Cyrus wasn’t stealing but even if he was, a bottle of water is no reason to take a child’s life! pic.twitter.com/wlYnqevxpF
— Jessica (J.A.M.) Aiwuyor 💫 (@JAMAiwuyor) May 29, 2023
Rutherford, who has known Carmack-Belton’s family for decades, expressed deep sorrow and indignation, stating, “Words can’t describe the pain I feel… This was not an accident. It’s something that the Black community has experienced for generations: being racially profiled, then shot down in the street like a dog.”
Unjustified accusations and a tragic outcome
Carmack-Belton, who had been accused of shoplifting, was reportedly chased by Rick Chow and his son after an argument in the store. Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott said that while Carmack-Belton was seen removing four water bottles from a cooler, he put them back, and no evidence of shoplifting was found.
An Asian store owner in Columbia SC named Rick Chow, falsely accused a 14 year old CHILD Cyrus Carmack-Belton (the sheriff keeps referring to the victim as a “young MAN”) of shoplifting. And the store owner and his son chased the Black boy down and shot him in the back, killing… pic.twitter.com/UMqnPr4vR1
— Tariq Nasheed 🇺🇸 (@tariqnasheed) May 30, 2023
Chow, armed with a pistol, shot the teenager in the back during the chase, according to Sheriff Lott. He emphasized, “Even if (Carmack-Belton) had shoplifted four bottles of water… that’s not something you shoot anybody over, much less a 14-year-old.”
Community mourns tragic loss of Carmack Belton
Carmack-Belton’s death caused outrage and sorrow in the community. Residents gathered near a memorial set up at the site of the shooting. The incident has sparked deep pain, particularly among Black families who have lost loved ones to gun violence.
Lolita Frazier, a member of Moms Demand Action whose son was killed in a shooting in 2016, noted that children in the neighborhood often visited Rick Chow’s store for snacks. She expressed her grief, saying, “This morning, a mother is mourning.”
As the investigation continues, this tragic event serves as a harsh reminder of the devastating effects of gun violence and racial profiling on communities.
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