Store Owner Fatally Shoots 14-Year-Old Wrongly Accused Of Shoplifting: Cops

Rick Chow, 58,

Photo: Richland County Sheriff's Department

A gas station owner from South Carolina has been charged with murder after allegedly shooting a 14-year-old in the back. The Richland County Sheriff's Office said that Cyrus Carmack-Belton went to the convenience store of a Shell gas station when the owner, 58-year-old Rick Chow, accused him of shoplifting.

Chow and his adult son chased the boy out of the store, claiming he stole a bottle of water. The two men confronted the teen on the street and realized he had a gun. Chow then opened fire, striking the teen in the back with a single shot.

After an investigation, authorities determined that Carmack-Belton did not steal anything from the store. Investigators are not sure how he got the gun but noted that he never pointed it at Chow or his son before he was fatally shot.

"We are confident that this was done in a manner that we will now classify as a homicide. This was not an accidental shooting by any means," Richland County Coroner Naida Rutherford said during a news conference. "This was a very intentional shooting. And unfortunately, Cyrus Carmack-Belton lost his life."