An Asian South Carolina convenience store owner chased a 14-year-old Black boy he falsely believed stole bottles of water from his store, running after him into a nearby apartment complex where he shot the boy in the back, killing him. He’s being held without bail on a murder charge.
According to WLTX CBS-10 in Columbia, Rick Chow, the 58-year-old convenience store owner, wrongly thought Cyrus Carmack-Belton was stealing bottles of water. Carmack-Belton left the store, but Chow’s son ran after him; Chow grabbed a handgun and followed. At some point during the chase, Carmack-Belton tripped, but got up and continued running; Chow’s son shouted to his father that Carmack-Belton had a gun. Chow then fired at least one shot, hitting Carmack-Belton in the back, with the bullet striking his heart, killing him. Police did not report finding a gun on the victim.
NBC News reports that Monday night, a crowd that had gathered outside the store broke in, stealing some merchandise, breaking property, and vandalizing the store. Carmack-Belton’s name was spraypainted on the front of the store, and a sign reading “No child deserves to die over water” were taped outside the store.