"He Was Only a Child" Family Weeps as Jury Finds Chikei Rick Chow Not Guilty in Death of Black 14-Year-Old Cyrus Carmack-Belton

COLUMBIA, S.C. — A hush settled over the courtroom Monday before cries from the gallery shattered the silence. Moments earlier, jurors cleared Chikei Rick Chow of murder charges in the 2023 shooting death of 14-year-old Cyrus Carmack-Belton.

Relatives of the teenager buried their faces in their hands as the verdict was read. Across the room, Chow lowered his head onto folded fingers and remained seated while emotions spilled from both sides of the courtroom.

The trial revolved around what unfolded after Cyrus left the convenience store. Prosecutors contended the teenager was pursued and shot following a dispute involving bottled water, while defense attorneys insisted Chow believed his son faced immediate danger, according to the Associated Press.

Security footage, photographs and witness testimony pulled jurors through the final minutes before gunfire erupted. Attorneys replayed those moments repeatedly as they attempted to persuade the panel toward sharply different conclusions.

Rather than arguing over who fired the weapon, much of the courtroom battle focused on why the trigger was pulled. One side portrayed an unarmed teenager trying to get away. The other described a father reacting to what he believed was a threat against his family.

Outside the courthouse, the teenager's relatives confronted a result they had spent years hoping to avoid. Attorney Todd Rutherford said a civil lawsuit remains ahead and indicated the fight surrounding Cyrus' death is not finished.

Far beyond the courthouse steps, the teenager's name had already become part of marches, prayer gatherings and memorial events. Empty water bottles arranged to spell "Cyrus" stood as a symbol that lingered long after news cameras departed.

The verdict closed the criminal case, but it did not bring the same outcome to everyone who filled the courtroom benches. Some walked away relieved. Others left carrying photographs, unanswered grief and memories that no jury decision could erase.