A South Carolina jury has found former Columbia convenience store owner Chikei Rick Chow not guilty of murder in the 2023 shooting death of 14-year-old Black teenager Cyrus Carmack-Belton.
The Richland County jury delivered the acquittal on Monday after about five days of testimony and roughly eight hours of deliberations at the county courthouse in Columbia.
Chow, 61, was charged with murder after he shot Carmack-Belton once in the back on May 28, 2023, following a chase that began at the Shell gas station and convenience store he operated on Parklane Road, according to CNN.
Prosecutors had sought a murder conviction, arguing the shooting was unjustified and stemmed from an unfounded shoplifting accusation.
According to testimony and investigators, Chow and his son chased Carmack-Belton from the store after they believed he had taken several bottles of water without paying. Surveillance footage later showed the teenager putting the bottles back before leaving the store.
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The pursuit covered more than 100 yards away from the business before Chow fired a single round from a .45-caliber Glock pistol that struck Carmack-Belton in the back, killing him.
The defense maintained throughout the trial that Chow fired in defense of his son after believing the teen was armed during the confrontation. Authorities have said a handgun was recovered near Carmack-Belton's body, but prosecutors argued there was no evidence the boy pointed it at Chow or his son during the chase, ABC News reported.
Defense attorneys pointed to Chow's attempt to perform CPR on Carmack-Belton after the shooting as evidence he lacked malice, a key element required for a murder conviction under South Carolina law.
Carmack-Belton's killing sparked protests in Columbia in 2023, and the convenience store was vandalized in the days after the shooting as community members demanded accountability.
Following Monday's verdict, the teen's family expressed deep disappointment but called for peaceful responses while vowing to continue pursuing a wrongful death civil lawsuit against Chow. Chow, who had been held without bond since his 2023 arrest, is expected to be released from jail following his acquittal on the murder charge, as per CBS News.
