The parents of 14-year-old Cyrus Carmack-Belton are speaking out following the acquittal of convenience store owner Rick Chow, saying the verdict represents a devastating failure of justice and has fueled a wave of hateful online responses celebrating their son's death.
Nicole Carmack and Troy Belton, joined by local civil rights leaders, have publicly condemned the jury's decision to find Chow not guilty in the fatal shooting of their son, who was killed outside a Columbia, South Carolina convenience store in May 2023.
The family's anguish has been compounded by what they describe as an influx of racist and celebratory comments appearing on social media following the verdict. According to Nicole Carmack, strangers have flooded her accounts with messages mocking her loss and praising the shooting, forcing the grieving mother to endure a new round of trauma years after her son's death.
"He was only 14 years old," supporters of the family have repeatedly emphasized, pointing to the teenager's age as they question both the shooting and the legal outcome.
The case stems from an incident on May 28, 2023, at an Xpress Mart Shell station in Columbia. Cyrus entered the store and was accused by Rick Chow and his adult son, Andy Chow, of attempting to steal four bottles of water.
Investigators later reviewed surveillance footage that showed Cyrus had not stolen the water. The video reportedly showed the teenager placing the bottles back into the cooler before leaving the store.
After a verbal confrontation, Cyrus ran from the business, leading Rick Chow and his son to chase him on foot. During the pursuit, Cyrus fell.
At trial, defense attorneys argued that Cyrus was armed with a handgun and pointed it at Andy Chow, creating a situation in which Rick Chow reasonably feared for his son's life and acted in self-defense. Prosecutors challenged that narrative, arguing that forensic evidence and witness testimony suggested Cyrus was attempting to flee when he was shot.
The fatal bullet struck Cyrus in the heart, killing him.
After hearing the evidence, jurors ultimately sided with the defense and acquitted Rick Chow of murder charges.
The verdict has sparked strong reactions from the Carmack-Belton family and civil rights advocates, who argue that race played a significant role in how Cyrus was perceived and treated that day.
Troy Belton expressed disbelief at the jury's conclusion, saying he saw only a frightened child attempting to escape a confrontation.
"Only thing I see was a child that was scared," Belton said following the verdict. "And you're gonna still shoot him in the back."
For the family, the verdict has become about more than a single courtroom decision. They contend that Cyrus was unfairly viewed as a threat rather than as a teenager and that the legal system failed to hold anyone accountable for his death.
Civil rights leaders supporting the family have echoed those concerns, calling for broader conversations about race, self-defense laws, and the treatment of Black youth within the criminal justice system.
As the family continues to grieve, they say the online harassment that followed the verdict has only reinforced their belief that Cyrus was denied the empathy and humanity afforded to others.
More than three years after the shooting, the case remains a painful flashpoint in ongoing debates over race, self-defense claims, and accountability in America. For Nicole Carmack and Troy Belton, however, the issue remains deeply personal: the loss of a 14-year-old son whose life ended far too soon and whose memory they continue to fight to defend.
