Fight for justice continues 2 years after teen shot at S.C. store
COLUMBIA S.C. — Wednesday marked two years since 14-year-old Cyrus Carmack-Belton was killed near a northeast Columbia gas station.
The Richland County Sheriff’s Department said Rick Chow, who owned the store on Parklane Road, and his son chased Carmack-Belton from the store in 2023 and shot him a few yards away on Springtree Drive.
Chow was arrested in 2023 and is charged with murder. Prosecutors have also said they will not pursue charges against his son in the shooting.
Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott said Chow suspected Belton was stealing from inside the gas station, but that investigators had no evidence that he stole anything.
The sheriff also says Chow shot at Belton after his son yelled that Belton had a gun. Authorities also said a gun was recovered from the scene near where Belton’s body was found.
S.C. court rejects condemned man’s request for firing squad details
The South Carolina Supreme Court rejected a request for more information on the firing squad from an inmate set to die next month for a case that has an Augusta connection.
Todd Rutherford, who is representing Belton’s family, said they are still fighting to ensure Chow faces justice.
“The shock may be over. The tragedy is not,” said Rutherford. “And we continue to deal with, at the two-year anniversary, fighting for justice. And so we have filed a civil lawsuit. We’re going to make Rick Chow pay for what he did. For taking the life that never should’ve been taken.”
No trial date has been set for Chow, who remains held at the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center.
Copyright 2025 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
