14-year-old South Carolina boy chased down, shot in back and killed by gas station owner over suspected water bottle theft

A Shell gas station owner is in jail where he belongs after police say he killed a 14-year-old boy he suspected of stealing a bottle of water out of his store.

The shooting happened around 8 pm Sunday at the Shell gas station on Parklane Road.

According to the Richland County Sheriff’s Office, 14-year-old Cyrus Carmack-Belton was inside the Shell gas station when the owner, Rick Chow, accused Cyrus of shoplifting water bottles.

In a press conference Monday, Sheriff Leon Lott said Cyrus was not shoplifting; instead, Cyrus had touched the bottles but put them back in the cooler. According to Sheriff Lott, Cyrus and Chow had verbally argued before Cyrus left the store. Sheriff Lott said the store owner’s son chased Cyrus, which Chow followed.

Sheriff Lott said Chow had a pistol on him while chasing Cyrus. Sheriff Lott said the chase went near apartments, where Cyrus tripped and fell. After Cyrus got back up, Chow’s son told him Cyrus had a gun, to which, moments later, Chow shot Cyrus in the back, killing him.

According to a Richland County Coroner, the gunshot wound injured Cyrus’s heart.

Sheriff Lott said a gun was found near Cyrus’s body, but their investigation determined that Cyrus was shot and killed while his back was turned.

The Columbia community gathered at the store immediately after the incident to protest over the killing of Cyrus.

A few weeks ago, Chow locked a group of girls inside his store and assaulted one of them, grabbing her by her neck and taking her to the ground near the back of his store.

Chow’s assault on this girl was caught on camera.

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We will keep you updated as this story continues to develop.

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