A South Carolina jury delivered a not guilty verdict on June 2, 2026, in one of the most emotionally charged murder trials the state has seen in recent years — the case of Rick Chow, a convenience store owner who fatally shot 14-year-old Cyrus Carmack-Belton in the back during a foot chase in May 2023.
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Who Is Rick Chow?
Chikei Rick Chow, 61, is a former Asian-American owner of a Shell gas station convenience store located on Parklane Road in Columbia, South Carolina. He was charged with murder following the May 28, 2023 shooting death of Cyrus Carmack-Belton, a Black 14-year-old, and had pleaded not guilty to the charge. The case drew national attention due to its racial dimensions, the circumstances of the shooting, and the broader debate around racial profiling and the use of deadly force.
What Happened on May 28, 2023?
According to prosecutors and court records, Rick Chow and his son Andy followed Cyrus Carmack-Belton out of their gas station after falsely accusing him of shoplifting four bottles of water. Surveillance footage reviewed by Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott showed the teen removing four water bottles from a cooler but then placing them back — no evidence of theft was established.
Nonetheless, Chow and his son gave chase. Prosecutors say Chow pursued the teen more than 130 yards (119 meters) from the store — the length of a football field — down Parklane Road toward a nearby apartment complex. At the end of the chase, Chow fired one shot from a .45 caliber Glock, striking Carmack-Belton in the back. The teen died at the scene. Chow was charged with murder the following day.
The Trial: Prosecution vs. Defense
Prosecution’s Case
The trial, which began in late May 2026 at the Richland County courthouse in Columbia, featured more than 15 witnesses over the course of four days of testimony. Solicitor Byron E. Gipson anchored the prosecution’s argument around a stark moral question — asking jurors in his opening statement: “What is the value of a human life?”
The prosecution maintained that Carmack-Belton never stole anything from the store and was trying to flee when he was shot. Prosecutors pointed to surveillance video, eyewitness accounts, and forensic evidence showing that the teen had been shot in the back — consistent with running away, not posing a threat. Multiple witnesses testified they did not see Carmack-Belton point a gun at anyone during the chase.
Gipson argued that a quick review of surveillance tape would have shown Carmack-Belton did not steal from the store, and that Chow chose to pursue him anyway while armed. “He chose to chase down an eighth grader,” prosecutor Dale Scott told jurors.
Prosecutors acknowledged Carmack-Belton was carrying a 9mm semiautomatic pistol equipped with a laser sight. However, they argued the weapon fell to the ground during the chase and was never used to threaten anyone. “Nobody testified that happened that doesn’t have the last name Chow,” Solicitor Gipson pointedly told jurors.
Defense’s Case
Defense attorney Shaun Kent argued that Chow made a split-second decision to protect his son. The defense’s version of events, delivered most directly through the testimony of Andy Chow, held that Carmack-Belton pointed the gun directly at the younger Chow before his father fired.
Andy Chow took the stand and testified that he yelled to his father that Carmack-Belton had a gun, then put his hands up and backed away. The defense also highlighted that Rick Chow attempted CPR on the fallen teen and immediately reported a firearm to dispatchers — arguing this consistency demonstrated his honest belief of a threat and the absence of malice, which is a required element for a murder conviction under South Carolina law.
The defense had earlier mounted an unsuccessful Stand Your Ground hearing before Judge Scott Sprouse, seeking to have the murder charge dismissed. That effort failed, but the legal framework of self-defense remained central to the trial itself.
The Verdict: Not Guilty
On June 2, 2026 — a Monday — the jury returned a not guilty verdict for Chikei Rick Chow after deliberating for several hours following closing arguments. Judge Heath Taylor had instructed jurors on the law before they began deliberating around 12:20 p.m. The verdict was delivered the same day, making it one of the swiftest conclusions to a closely watched murder trial in South Carolina in recent memory.
The not guilty finding means Chow will face no criminal penalty for the 2023 shooting.
Community Impact and Reactions
The killing had already sent shockwaves through Richland County’s African American community — a community in which nearly half the county’s population is Black. The case was viewed by many as emblematic of broader concerns about racial profiling, disproportionate use of deadly force, and the vulnerability of Black youth.
Carmack-Belton’s parents and family members attended every day of the trial, sitting through graphic testimony about the teenager’s final moments. He was remembered by Summit Parkway Middle School — where he was an eighth grader — as “intelligent, humorous with a quick wit and well-liked by his classmates.” His goals, the school noted, were to own a tattoo shop and be famous one day.
The not guilty verdict is expected to intensify ongoing community calls for accountability and renewed scrutiny of how self-defense laws operate in South Carolina — particularly in cases where the victim is Black and unarmed of any aggressive intent, despite being in possession of a firearm.
Key Facts at a Glance
- Defendant: Chikei Rick Chow, 61, Asian-American, former Shell gas station owner
- Victim: Cyrus Carmack-Belton, 14, Black male, Summit Parkway Middle School student
- Incident date: May 28, 2023
- Location: Parklane Road, Columbia, South Carolina
- Charge: Murder
- Verdict: Not Guilty (June 2, 2026)
- Judge: Heath Taylor
- Prosecutor: Solicitor Byron E. Gipson
- Defense attorneys: Shaun Kent, Jack Swerling
- Trial duration: Approximately one week
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: Who is Rick Chow in South Carolina? A: Rick Chow (full name Chikei Rick Chow) is a 61-year-old Asian-American man and former convenience store owner in Columbia, South Carolina, who was charged with murder after fatally shooting 14-year-old Cyrus Carmack-Belton in May 2023.
Q: What happened to Cyrus Carmack-Belton? A: Cyrus Carmack-Belton, a 14-year-old Black teenager, was shot in the back by Rick Chow after being chased more than 130 yards from a Shell gas station on Parklane Road in Columbia, South Carolina, on May 28, 2023. He died at the scene.
Q: Was Rick Chow found guilty? A: No. A South Carolina jury found Rick Chow not guilty of murder on June 2, 2026, following a week-long trial in Richland County.
Q: Did Cyrus Carmack-Belton steal anything from the store? A: No. Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott confirmed there was no evidence of shoplifting. Surveillance footage showed the teen removed water bottles from a cooler but put them back before leaving.
Q: What was the defense’s argument? A: The defense argued that Chow fired to protect his son, Andy, after Carmack-Belton allegedly pointed a gun at him. They also argued that Chow’s performance of CPR after the shooting demonstrated a lack of malice, which is required for a murder conviction under South Carolina law.
Q: What was the prosecution’s main argument? A: Prosecutors argued the shooting was unprovoked, that Carmack-Belton never stole anything, that multiple witnesses did not see him point a gun at anyone, and that the teen was shot in the back while trying to flee — not while posing a threat.
The not guilty verdict in the Rick Chow trial has reignited a painful national conversation about race, justice, and who gets the benefit of the doubt — share your thoughts in the comments below and follow us for continued coverage of this developing story.
