politics
South Carolina store owner acquitted of murder in 2023 killing of Black teen wrongly suspected of shoplifting
A South Carolina jury on Monday found a store owner not guilty of murder in the 2023 shooting of a Black 14-year-old.
TL;DR
- Chikei Rick Chow, a convenience store owner, was found not guilty of murder by a South Carolina jury.
- He was accused of shooting Cyrus Carmack-Belton, a 14-year-old Black boy, in 2023.
- Prosecutors alleged Chow acted in anger over suspected shoplifting of water bottles.
- The defense claimed Chow fired in self-defense after his son, Andy Chow, was allegedly threatened with a gun by the teen.
- Witnesses for the prosecution stated they did not see the teen with a gun, while the defense noted only individuals with the surname Chow testified to seeing a gun.
- The teen died from a gunshot wound to the back, indicating he was running away.
- The incident led to vigils and protests, and the store had a history of calls for assistance related to various crimes.