Key takeaways:
- 14-year-old Cyrus Carmack-Belton was fatally shot in the back by a convenience store owner in Columbia, South Carolina
- The store owner, 58-year-old Rick Chow, had mistaken the teen for shoplifting four bottles of water
- Chow has been arrested and charged with murder, and authorities are asking anyone with information to come forward
A 14-year-old was fatally shot in the back on Sunday night in Columbia, South Carolina, by a convenience store owner who had wrongly accused him of shoplifting, according to authorities.
The Richland County Sheriff’s Office has charged 58-year-old Rick Chow with murder in the death of Cyrus Carmack-Belton. Sheriff Leon Lott said at a press conference that Chow had mistaken the teen for taking four bottles of water from the Xpress Mart Shell station.
Carmack-Belton had entered the store around 8 p.m. and a verbal confrontation ensued. The teen then ran out of the store and was shot in the back by Chow. There was no indication that the two had a physical altercation.
Chow was arrested on Monday and is being held at the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center. Sheriff Lott said that Chow will be “appropriately charged with murder.”
The incident has sparked outrage in the community, and a memorial was held for Carmack-Belton on Tuesday. The investigation is ongoing and authorities are asking anyone with information to come forward.
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