SC store owner’s murder trial over teen’s shooting death. Here’s what to know
Former South Carolina convenience store owner Rick Chow is on trial for murder in the May 2023 shooting death of 14-year-old Cyrus Carmack-Belton. The teen was chased from a Shell gas station after being wrongly suspected of stealing bottles of water.
Here are key takeaways:
- Rick Chow and his son Andy chased Carmack-Belton roughly 130 yards from the Shell gas station at 7441 Parklane Road before Chow fired a single fatal shot, jurors heard during the third day of testimony.
- Prosecutors told jurors during opening statements that Chow “determined that Cyrus Carmack-Belton’s life was worth less than four bottles of water,” 5th Circuit Solicitor Byron Gipson argued.
- Andy Chow testified that Carmack-Belton tripped, fell on the grass and then pointed a gun at him, prompting him to yell “He’s got a gun!” before his father fired the fatal shot.
- A former Richland County Sheriff’s Deputy testified that neither Chow nor his son initially reported that Carmack-Belton pointed a gun at Andy, and Chow never saw a gun in the teen’s hand before firing.
- Video surveillance from the store’s “intricate” and “expensive” system showed Carmack-Belton did not actually steal anything, prosecutors and investigators determined.
- Defense attorney Jack Swerling questioned why a 14-year-old was illegally carrying a fully loaded semi-automatic 9mm pistol with a laser, arguing Chow feared for his son’s life, during his opening remarks to jurors.
- If convicted, Chow faces a minimum of 30 years in prison, and closing arguments are expected to begin Monday after the defense rested Friday afternoon.
The summary points above were compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists. The source reporting referenced above was written and edited entirely by journalists.
Javon L. Harris
The State