Posted on 06/02/2026 10:01:47 AM PDT by V_TWIN
A store owner in South Carolina who spent three years in jail before his trial was acquitted of a murder charge after shooting and killing an armed teen outside the store in 2023.
A jury in Richland County found Rick Chow not guilty Monday in the shooting death of 14-year-old Cyrus Cormack-Belton.
On May 28, 2023, Chow and his son, Andy Chow, pursued Cormack-Belton out of their Columbia, South Carolina, convenience store after suspecting him of shoplifting.
The father and son duo chased the teen about 100 yards before Chow shot him in the back with a .45-caliber Glock handgun, killing Cormack-Belton, according to the Post and Courier.
Cormack-Belton was carrying a semiautomatic pistol at the time, and Chow's defense contended that he aimed the gun at Andy Chow, which caused the elder Chow to fire the shot in self-defense. While the state acknowledged that the teen had a gun, they said it fell onto the street and posed no danger to the Chows.
Chow was charged with murder the day after the shooting, and subsequently held without bond for just over three years leading up to the trial.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
A 14 y/o with a gun.
I'm thinking the parent(s) are the ones deserving a few years in jail with no bond.
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Looks like the locals are getting tired of the crime committed by the ‘protected class’. May be a wake-up call to the yutes. Ought to remove the prosecutor next election for the no-bail approach since the store owner wasn’t a member of the ‘protected class’.
Where are the quick trials? This “permanent holding cell without trial” approach is not constitutional.
“While the state acknowledged that the teen had a gun, they said it fell onto the street and posed no danger to the Chows”
And in the same circumstance would they would bet their life he didn’t have another one?...
Mr. Chow might want to be on guard for a while.
It wouldn’t surprise me if some sort of warped retribution was headed his way in the form of vandalism or arson directed at his business.
Or worse, physical harm to him and or his family.
On Facebook several people are openly suggesting “street justice” be meted out.
Agreed, but shooting someone in the back is no bueno. Here in the people’s republic of CT, that makes YOU the threat.
A certain ethnicity isn’t used to coming out on the short end of a jury trial.
They’re famous for yelling “we want JUSTICE”.
That’s really not what they’re saying.
They have their words wrong as usual.
What they REALLY mean is “we want a CONVICTION”.
He served just over a 3 year sentence, the trial took 3 days and decided not guilty.
A 3 year prison sentence served before conviction of a crime, how does that happen?
“Chow’s defense contended that he aimed the gun at Andy Chow, which caused the elder Chow to fire the shot in self-defense.”
Apparently a valid argument considering the jury’s decision.
Glock......gotta get that in there..........Notice they never tell you what mfr the teen’s gun was............
It certainly sounds like his civil rights were violated if you ask me.
A good lawyer should be able to exploit that.
Yep noticed that.
They also don’t get into how a 14 year old has a gun in the first place.....or where he got it.
“Chow’s defense contended that he aimed the gun at Andy Chow, which caused the elder Chow to fire the shot in self-defense.”
They never miss a chance to hit that winning lottery ticket do they? SMH
Disregard post 15.
“An attorney for the Cormack-Belton family, Todd Rutherford, said the family intends to file a civil lawsuit against Chow.”
Lottery ticket 👆
If tried in the same place they won’t get a penny..............
It’s not where you shoot someone but why that matters.
Chow needs to file a civil counter suit for his 3 year imprisonment as a result of the crime their 14 year old committed. At 14 the parents are responsible for the destructive action of the young criminal.
AI....
does Rick chow still own that convenience store? did it close down?No, Rick Chow no longer owns the convenience store, and it did not close down.
The store in question is the Shell gas station and convenience store (Xpress Mart) at 7441 Parklane Road in Columbia, South Carolina.
Ownership change: Rick Chow (Chikei Rick Chow) sold the property in November 2023 (or possibly 2024 based on some reports) to James 2020 LLC of Greer, SC, for about $1.1 million. He had owned it since around 2012.
Current status: The station is still open and operating as a Shell gas station/convenience store under the new owners. It’s listed as open 24 hours on Shell’s site and other directories.
The high-profile shooting incident happened there in May 2023, after which the store faced vandalism but later reopened under new ownership. Chow was referred to as the “former” owner during his recent murder trial (which ended in a not guilty verdict on June 1-2, 2026).
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