Richland 2 mourns loss of 14-year-old student who was killed in convenience store shooting
Richland District 2 is mourning the loss of Cyrus Carmack-Belton, a 14-year-old who was shot and killed Sunday night following an encounter with a convenience store owner.
A student at Summit Parkway Middle School, Carmack-Belton had been promoted from the eighth grade in a ceremony last week.
“The Richland 2 family is devastated to learn of the tragic death of one of our Summit Parkway Middle School students,” the district said in a statement. “Our deepest sympathies go out to the Carmack-Belton family in their time of loss.”
Several district board members took to social media to express sadness for the loss of Carmack-Belton.
“My condolences and prayers are with the family for the loss of one of our scholars,” Monica Scott wrote in a Facebook post. “My heart is broken.”
Angela Nash wrote that she too, was heartbroken and is praying for the student’s family, friends and classmates.
“Our Richland 2 family is close knit and in hard times bands together to be comfort and light to one another,” Nash wrote. “... I know that same spirit will shine bright in our community.”
“My prayers and condolences go out to the friends and family of Cyrus Carmack-Belton and Richland Two,” Niki Porter wrote in a Facebook post.
District staff are at Summit Parkway Middle Tuesday to provide support and counseling, school officials said.
According to the Richland County Sheriff’s Department, the owners of a Shell station on Parklane Road suspected Carmack-Belton of shoplifting on around 8 p.m. on Sunday. Following an argument that began inside the store, the 14-year-old took off running and was shot once in the back by one of the owners.
The sheriff’s department said there is no evidence that Carmack-Belton stole anything.
Rick Chow, the 58-year-old owner of the Shell gas station, has been charged with murder in Carmack-Belton’s death, the sheriff’s department said.
