In South Carolina, a gas station owner named Rick Chow has been charged with murder on Monday. The charge comes after Chow allegedly shot and killed a 14-year-old boy.
In Columbia, South Carolina, tragedy struck on Sunday night as 14-year-old Cyrus Carmack-Belton lost his life. The young boy was accused of shoplifting by Rick Chow, a 58-year-old gas station owner of the Shell establishment. This particular gas station has been known to have issues with both violence and shoplifting.
According to reports, Chow and his adult son pursued Carmack-Belton as he fled from the store and onto the nearby street. The pursuit was allegedly prompted by suspicions that Carmack-Belton had stolen bottled water.
Upon discovering that the adolescent was in possession of a firearm, Chow discharged his own weapon. The teenager was pronounced dead after being shot once in the back. Chow has been charged with murder and is currently in custody awaiting the setting of bail.
On Monday, a group of angry protesters made their way to the gas station and expressed their fury by looting and smashing windows.
According to an interview with DailyMail.com, Richland County Coroner Naida Rutherford reported that the family of Cyrus, who have not yet made any public statements regarding his death, were in a state of shock.
According to the speaker, if one were to lose their 14-year-old son, they would be as upset as the individuals in question are currently. On Monday, Rutherford took to Instagram to share an emotional video in response to Chow’s charges. Choking back tears, she expressed how Cyrus could have been “any of our sons.”
The community is responding to the news of a 14-year-old who was fatally shot and a store owner who has been arrested in connection with the incident.
Amid online criticism, she defended her decision to take a strong position on the case. The individual stated, “I am not a robot.” A person who deals with death on a daily basis expressed that even they would have a reaction to the death of a child.
According to the speaker, there is no right or wrong way to be impartial.The reason why Cyrus, a 14-year-old, was carrying a weapon has not been disclosed by the police.
The authorities are currently conducting an investigation into how he acquired the weapon. However, they have stated that they are certain he did not discharge the firearm or aim it at Chow or his son.
According to police, the surveillance footage from inside the gas station, which has not been made public yet, confirms that the individual in question did not commit shoplifting.
According to reports, Chow’s gas station has become a hub for shoplifting and violent confrontations with unruly patrons.
The Richland County Sheriff’s Office has not yet confirmed the exact number of times the individual called the police for assistance over the past five years. However, they have stated that the number of incidents reported is quite substantial.
Prior to Sunday’s incident, his record solely consisted of traffic violations. On Monday, following Cyrus’ death, protesters arrived at the store and proceeded to break windows, spray graffiti, and loot the inventory.
Yesterday, Sheriff Leon Lott publicly denounced the act of looting and expressed his disappointment that he had to redirect his deputies’ attention to safeguard the store instead of serving the community.
A 14-year-old boy has been shot and killed, according to reports. According to the speaker, the arrest involves holding the responsible individual accountable. According to the speaker, their job entails that responsibility.
According to the speaker, their current responsibility does not include protecting the store. At a press conference, he stated, ‘And that’s what we have to do.’ Yesterday, Chow made an appearance in court for a short hearing. It was decided that he will continue to be held in custody until his bond is established.