SC, nation reacts online following Rick Chow’s not guilty verdict
Following news that Rick Chow was acquitted of murdering 14-year-old Cyrus Carmack Belton, people all around South Carolina and the nation took to social media in reaction to the verdict.
Two striking narratives were presented during Chow’s murder trial. One, offered by the prosecution, said Carmack-Belton was wrongfully gunned down after being chased 130 yards from a Shell gas station because Chow falsely believed the boy had stolen water from the store.
The other, according to the defense, said despite the chase and false belief of theft, Chow was defending his son, Andy, when he fired a fatal shot into the 14-year-old’s back.
Regardless of the legality of the case, which set Chow free, reactions to the verdict online appeared to center entirely around the morality of the case.
One creator, while sympathetic to Carmack-Belton’s death, suggested that parents do a better job in ensuring their children aren’t walking around carrying a gun.
Some people questioned why defense attorney Shaun Kent would choose to represent Chow, knowing Chow had shot and killed a Black boy. In a video posted on Facebook, Kent explained his position.
