A South Carolina jury acquits convenience store owner Chikei Rick Chow, 61, of murder in the 2023 shooting death of 14-year-old Cyrus Carmack-Belton in Columbia. Multiple outlets report that the shooting occurred after Chow chased the teenager from his store and fired a shot that struck Carmack-Belton in the back. During the trial, Chow maintained that he acted in defense of his son, according to CBS News. Fox News and other coverage note that Chow had been held without bond for about three years while the case proceeded through the legal system. The verdict follows a high-profile prosecution that drew national attention and led to intense reactions in the community and in court, with reports describing heartbreak and outrage after the decision. The sources consistently state that the jury’s decision results in Chow being found not guilty of murder, while also reflecting that the case involved disputed accounts of the circumstances leading to the shooting.