Store Owner Kills 14YO Boy For Allegedly Stealing Water, Now Charged With Murder

[Sugar Cookie]

A Columbia convenience store owner is charged with murder in the shooting death of a 14-year-old boy.

According to the Richland County Sheriff’s Department, Rick Chow, who owns the Shell gas station on Parklane Road in Columbia, chased Cyrus Carmack-Belton from his store around 8 p.m. on Sunday night, and shot him just down the road.

“It’s senseless, it doesn’t make sense,” Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott said in a Memorial Day press conference. “You have a family that’s grieving, we have a community that’s grieving over a 14-year-old who was shot.”

The owner suspected Carmack-Belton of shoplifting inside the store, which RCSD has said did not happen.

RCSD reviewed surveillance footage as part of this investigation.

“Regardless, even if he had shoplifted four bottles of water, which is what he initially took out of the cooler and then he put them back, even if he’d done that, that’s not something you shoot anybody over, much less a 14-year-old, but you just don’t do that,” Sheriff Lott said.

At one point, there was a verbal confrontation inside the store, but no indication that things turned physical, deputies say.

Chow, 58, and his son chased Carmack-Belton down the street. The teenager fell, but got back up and ran, Lott said

Chow’s son told his father that Carmack-Belton was armed, according to RCSD.

Deputies recovered a gun believed to belong to the victim near his body.

RCSD said there is no evidence that Carmack-Belton pointed it at or threatened Chow.

Lott said that Carmack-Belton was running away when he was shot.

Richland County coroner Naida Rutherford said he had one gunshot wound to the right lower back.

Columbia convenience store owner charged with murder in shooting death of 14-year-old boy

Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott said a convenience store owner is in custody and charged with murder in the case of a 14-year-old boy who was shot to death.

www.wistv.com

Cyrus Monroe Carmack-Belton​

 

[Blunderbuss Firozabad]

"Several people described Chow as “nasty” and rude to customers."

For a number of small reasons, I think it's going to be discovered that the gun found near Cyrus Carmack-Belton's body belonged to Rick Chow or his son.

 

[thuumpr]

Stealing water? Sad!

Only thing sadder... Stealing sand in the desert.

 

[Sejanus]

Shot a fleeing kid in the back?
So brave!
Chow
Is
Fukt.

 

[McDanel]

Especially as the kid put the water back!

 

[Taishobee]

Sick.

 

[Doctor Slaughter]

Chow is about to live that hard life. Zero empathy. I doubt his new yardmates have even that

 

[Blunderbuss Firozabad]

More info on Rick Chow.

Convenience store owner who allegedly killed teen had previously shot at two shoplifters, officials say

Columbia convenience store owner Rick Yow, who was charged with allegedly killing a teen he wrongly accused of shoplifting, had previously shot a shoplifter in the leg and opened fire on another shoplifter's vehicle.

www.cbsnews.com

 

[Crazy Cat Lady]

I have zero empathy for Rick Chow. I hope he gets LWOP.