A South Carolina jury has acquitted former convenience store owner Chikei Rick Chow of murder in the shooting death of 14-year-old Cyrus Carmack-Belton, per the New York Times, in a case that drew national attention. 

The verdict ended a trial centered on a deadly confrontation: On May 28, 2023, Chow accused the Black teenager of stealing water from his Xpress Mart Shell Station in Columbia. The 61-year-old convenience store owner also accused the teen of pointing a gun at his son. 

Prosecutors said Chow followed the boy and shot him in the back, arguing the killing was unjustified. They also acknowledged that Carmack-Belton had a semiautomatic pistol that fell to the ground during a 130-yard (119 meters) chase away from the store. They also maintain that he never threatened anyone with it.

Chow’s defense said he believed the teen threatened his son with a weapon, a claim that became a major focus as the jury weighed whether he acted in self-defense. After the not-guilty verdict, the Fifth Circuit solicitor, Byron Gipson, said he was disheartened by the outcome but respected the jury’s decision and the criminal justice system.

The case has remained painful for Cyrus’ family, who have continued to speak publicly about the loss. In a separate report, his parents reacted with anger and grief to the acquittal, saying the verdict deepened their pain and left them searching for accountability. 

"This makes us feel as if our children don't matter, and they do," said Todd Rutherford, an attorney and representative in the South Carolina Legislature. "This makes us feel like Cyrus' life didn't matter, and it did."

Chow’s acquittal closes one chapter of a case that has stirred strong emotions far beyond South Carolina, especially among people who saw the case as part of a larger pattern of Black children facing suspicion and violence.

The United States has a shameful history of villifying young Black boys, from the brutal murder of Emmett Till to the Central Park 5 being referred to as “super predators.” In more recent years, the murders of Trayvon Martin, Tamir Rice, Michael Brown, and so many more reflect that legacy. History has proven that using a “self-defense” strategy to justify the murder of Black boys is advantageous. 

"I've been practicing law for almost 30 years. I've never seen anything like this. I don't understand it," Rutherford said.