A South Carolina store owner, who endured three years behind bars awaiting trial, has been exonerated of murder charges stemming from a fatal encounter with an armed teenager outside his store in 2023.
Rick Chow, the proprietor in question, was declared not guilty by a Richland County jury on Monday. The verdict addressed the 2023 shooting incident involving 14-year-old Cyrus Cormack-Belton.
The confrontation unfolded on May 28, 2023, when Rick Chow and his son, Andy Chow, pursued the teenager from their convenience store in Columbia, South Carolina, under the suspicion of shoplifting.
During the chase, which spanned about 100 yards, Chow fired a .45-caliber Glock handgun, striking Cormack-Belton in the back and resulting in his death, as reported by the Post and Courier.
At the time of the incident, Cormack-Belton was in possession of a semiautomatic pistol. Chow’s defense argued that the teenager aimed the weapon at Andy Chow, prompting the senior Chow to act in self-defense. Although state prosecutors confirmed the presence of the teen’s gun, they contended that it had fallen onto the street, thereby posing no real threat to the Chows.
Cormack-Belton was carrying a semiautomatic pistol at the time, and Chow’s defense contended that he aimed the gun at Andy Chow, which caused the elder Chow to fire the shot in self-defense. While the state acknowledged that the teen had a gun, they said it fell onto the street and posed no danger to the Chows.
Chow was charged with murder the day after the shooting, and subsequently held without bond for just over three years leading up to the trial.
An obituary photo of Cyrus Cormack-Belton taken on an unknown date. (Legacy.com)
Tensions were high in the community as locals and activists held public demonstrations in the days and weeks after Cormack-Belton’s death. Crowds reportedly gathered outside Chow’s store on May 29, 2023, and cheered when they learned that Chow was charged with murder.
The store was vandalized later that night.
Chow’s trial lasted for three days, and according to the Post and Courier, the jury deliberated Monday for about 8 1/2 hours, from early afternoon to nearly 9 p.m., before reaching its decision.
After the not-guilty verdict, Chow was released from custody, and is now a free man for the first time since 2023.
The family of Cyrus Carmack-Belton reacts after a not guilty verdict against Chikei Rick Chow, a convenience store owner accused in the 2023 fatal shooting of the 14-year-old, during a murder trial in Columbia, S.C., on June 1, 2026. (Erik Verduzco/AP)
“We’re very pleased at the jury’s deliberations and their verdict,” one of Chow’s attorneys, Jack Swerling, said after the not-guilty verdict, WIS News 10 reported. “We think it was the appropriate verdict in this case. Although it was a difficult decision to come to, because you have two different stories to the extremes.”
“My heart goes out to them, but a 14-year-old kid should not be roaming the streets of Columbia or South Carolina with semiautomatic pistol loaded and ready to fire,” he said.
An attorney for the Cormack-Belton family, Todd Rutherford, said the family intends to file a civil lawsuit against Chow.
Fifth Circuit Solicitor Byron Gipson, who prosecuted the case, told News Agency he was disappointed by the outcome.
“Last night’s verdict has brought on strong emotions from our local and national communities. While I am disappointed with last night’s outcome and continue to believe that Rick Chow’s actions were not justifiable, I respect our criminal justice system and the jury’s decision,” he said. “As our community processes this outcome, we will continue to uplift the Carmack-Belton family in our thoughts and prayers. I ask that you honor both the family and Cyrus’ memory by supporting them in a peaceful manner during this difficult time.”
News Agency reached out to Swerling.
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