Gas station owner charged with murder for fatally shooting teenager he falsely accused of shoplifting

Rick Chow is facing a murder charge after shooting 14-year-old Cyrus Carmack-Belton in Columbia, South Carolina, on Sunday, police say

A South Carolina gas station owner has been charged with murder for fatally shooting a 14-year-old boy whom he falsely accused of stealing four bottles of water.

Rick Chow, 58, chased Cyrus Carmack-Belton from his Xpress Mart Shell store in Columbia before shooting the teen in the back at around 8pm on Sunday, the Richmond County Sheriff’s Department said in a press conference on Monday, according to WIS10.

Mr Chow had suspected the teenager of shoplifting, and after a verbal altercation Carmack-Belton fled the store, Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott told reporters.

Mr Chow grabbed a pistol and pursued the teenager with his son. Carmack-Belton fell to the ground outside an apartment building, and when he got back up Mr Chow fired, investigators said.

A review of security footage by the sheriff’s department found the shoplifting claims were false and the teenager had returned the bottles of water to a refrigerator, he said.

“It’s senseless, it doesn’t make sense,” Sheriff Lott said during Monday’s press conference.

South Carolina gas station owner Rick Chow has been charged with murder after shooting 14-year-old Cyrus Carmack-Belton (Richland County Sheriff's Department)

Carmack-Belton, 14, was allegedly shot by Chow after being falsely accused of shoplifting (Handout)

“Even if he had shoplifted four bottles of water, which he had taken out of the cooler and then put back — even if he had done that, that’s not something you should shoot anybody over, much less a 14-year-old,” he added.

“You just don’t do that.”

Deputies responding to the shooting on Sunday found Carmack-Belton lying on the side of the road. Sheriff Lott said a gun had been found near his body, but that there was no indication he had pointed the weapon at anyone.

He was taken to hospital and pronounced dead.

The Xpress Mart Shell station in Columbia, South Carolina, was looted after Sunday’s fatal shooting (Associated Press)

Coroner Naida Rutherford said the teenager had died from a single shot to the lower right back.

She said the wounds were consistent with someone who was running away, and should be classed as a homicide.

“This was not an accidental shooting by any means This was a very intentional shooting. And unfortunately, Cyrus Carmack-Belton lost his life,” she said.

@notbadfor50 #Sheriff #LeonLott and #Coroner #NaidaRutherford held a press conference May 29, to share further information about a shooting incident in which 14-year-old Cyrus Carmack-Belton was killed. #RickChow has been arrested and charged with his murder. Rick Chow, the owner of a #Shell gas station, near Parklane Road & Springtree Drive, has been arrested and charged with murder after Richland County deputies say he shot and killed 14 year old #CyrusCarmackBelton last night. Sheriff Leon Lott said the 14 year old was suspected of shoplifting but did NOT steal anything. After a verbal confrontation Cyrus ran out of the store, the son of the store owner chased him … then the owner of the store followed. At some point Cyrus fell down (by this time they were off the convenience store property) and when he got up to run again, the owner shot him in the back. Again, all of this according to RCSD investigators & RCO Coroner Naida Rutherford. Prayers & Justice for the family of #CyrusBelton ♬ original sound - Traci Fant

In a TikTok, Ms Rutherford told through tears how she had a son the same age as Carmack-Belton.

“He could be my son, do you guys understand that? He could be any of our kids,” she said.

“I think I’m just like everybody else in the world — I’m just tired, I’m just tired of seeing our young black men killed,” Ms Rutherford said.

The sheriff’s department said that a crowd that gathered to protest the shooting on Monday had been dispersed after it turned violent.

A South Carolina Shell station was vandalised after the owner shot dead a 14-year-old boy on Sunday (Associated Press)

Deputies had arrived to find windows smashed, and looters stealing items from the store.

Dozens of crushed water bottles littered the parking lot, and graffiti reading “Cyrus” and “14” covered the story, the Associated Press reported.

Those responsible for destruction would face prosecution, the sheriff said in a statement.

Mr Chow appeared in court on Tuesday, and was ordered to be held in bail pending a bail.