Store owner charged with murder for shooting teen he suspected of stealing water, police say

[JRTurner]

Another "good guy with a gun" story. Did he think he was being looted? Protecting his property? Standing his ground? Or is this the new way owners think suspected shoplifters should be handled?

Store owner charged with murder for shooting teen he suspected of stealing water, police say

Rick Chow, who owns the Shell gas station on Parklane Road in Columbia, chased the 14-year-old from his store Sunday night and shot him just down the road.

www.fox8live.com

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS/Gray News) - A convenience store owner in South Carolina is facing murder charges after he shot and killed a 14-year-old boy he suspected of shoplifting.

The Richland County Sheriff’s Department says the shooting happened at a Shell gas station on Parklane Road in Columbia, around 8 p.m. Sunday.

Rick Chow, who owns the Shell gas station chased Cyrus Carmack-Belton from his store and shot him just down the road.

“It’s senseless, it doesn’t make sense,” Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott said in a Memorial Day press conference. “You have a family that’s grieving. We have a community that’s grieving over a 14-year-old who was shot.”

The owner told police he suspected Carmack-Belton of shoplifting inside the store, which the department said did not happen.

The department reviewed surveillance footage as part of this investigation.

“Regardless, even if he had shoplifted four bottles of water, which is what he initially took out of the cooler and then he put them back, even if he’d done that, that’s not something you shoot anybody over, much less a 14-year-old, but you just don’t do that,” Sheriff Lott said.

 

[SuperDS77]

Another "good guy with a gun" story.

Uh, no. The many more stories like that are the ones that are generally ignored by those with an agenda.

Did he think he was being looted? Protecting his property? Standing his ground? Or is this the new way owners think suspected shoplifters should be handled?

Well he is apparently being charged with murder, so there is that....

 

[coyote505]

Another "good guy with a gun" story. Did he think he was being looted? Protecting his property? Standing his ground? Or is this the new way owners think suspected shoplifters should be handled?

Store owner charged with murder for shooting teen he suspected of stealing water, police say

Rick Chow, who owns the Shell gas station on Parklane Road in Columbia, chased the 14-year-old from his store Sunday night and shot him just down the road.

www.fox8live.com

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS/Gray News) - A convenience store owner in South Carolina is facing murder charges after he shot and killed a 14-year-old boy he suspected of shoplifting.

The Richland County Sheriff’s Department says the shooting happened at a Shell gas station on Parklane Road in Columbia, around 8 p.m. Sunday.

Rick Chow, who owns the Shell gas station chased Cyrus Carmack-Belton from his store and shot him just down the road.

“It’s senseless, it doesn’t make sense,” Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott said in a Memorial Day press conference. “You have a family that’s grieving. We have a community that’s grieving over a 14-year-old who was shot.”

The owner told police he suspected Carmack-Belton of shoplifting inside the store, which the department said did not happen.

The department reviewed surveillance footage as part of this investigation.

“Regardless, even if he had shoplifted four bottles of water, which is what he initially took out of the cooler and then he put them back, even if he’d done that, that’s not something you shoot anybody over, much less a 14-year-old, but you just don’t do that,” Sheriff Lott said.

Looks like First Degree to me, not enough provocation, if any, for Second.

 

[JRTurner]

Uh, no. The many more stories like that are the ones that are generally ignored by those with an agenda.

Sure.

Well he is apparently being charged with murder, so there is that....

Yes.

 

[MaryP]

Another "good guy with a gun" story. Did he think he was being looted? Protecting his property? Standing his ground? Or is this the new way owners think suspected shoplifters should be handled?

Store owner charged with murder for shooting teen he suspected of stealing water, police say

Rick Chow, who owns the Shell gas station on Parklane Road in Columbia, chased the 14-year-old from his store Sunday night and shot him just down the road.

www.fox8live.com

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS/Gray News) - A convenience store owner in South Carolina is facing murder charges after he shot and killed a 14-year-old boy he suspected of shoplifting.

The Richland County Sheriff’s Department says the shooting happened at a Shell gas station on Parklane Road in Columbia, around 8 p.m. Sunday.

Rick Chow, who owns the Shell gas station chased Cyrus Carmack-Belton from his store and shot him just down the road.

“It’s senseless, it doesn’t make sense,” Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott said in a Memorial Day press conference. “You have a family that’s grieving. We have a community that’s grieving over a 14-year-old who was shot.”

The owner told police he suspected Carmack-Belton of shoplifting inside the store, which the department said did not happen.

The department reviewed surveillance footage as part of this investigation.

“Regardless, even if he had shoplifted four bottles of water, which is what he initially took out of the cooler and then he put them back, even if he’d done that, that’s not something you shoot anybody over, much less a 14-year-old, but you just don’t do that,” Sheriff Lott said.

His daughter should have done what the storeowner's daughter in Crash did--bought him blanks.

 

[ClaraD]

Another "good guy with a gun" story. Did he think he was being looted? Protecting his property? Standing his ground? Or is this the new way owners think suspected shoplifters should be handled?

Store owner charged with murder for shooting teen he suspected of stealing water, police say

Rick Chow, who owns the Shell gas station on Parklane Road in Columbia, chased the 14-year-old from his store Sunday night and shot him just down the road.

www.fox8live.com

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS/Gray News) - A convenience store owner in South Carolina is facing murder charges after he shot and killed a 14-year-old boy he suspected of shoplifting.

The Richland County Sheriff’s Department says the shooting happened at a Shell gas station on Parklane Road in Columbia, around 8 p.m. Sunday.

Rick Chow, who owns the Shell gas station chased Cyrus Carmack-Belton from his store and shot him just down the road.

“It’s senseless, it doesn’t make sense,” Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott said in a Memorial Day press conference. “You have a family that’s grieving. We have a community that’s grieving over a 14-year-old who was shot.”

The owner told police he suspected Carmack-Belton of shoplifting inside the store, which the department said did not happen.

The department reviewed surveillance footage as part of this investigation.

“Regardless, even if he had shoplifted four bottles of water, which is what he initially took out of the cooler and then he put them back, even if he’d done that, that’s not something you shoot anybody over, much less a 14-year-old, but you just don’t do that,” Sheriff Lott said.

The problem here is the teen didn't steal anything, not water, nothing else. He shot him in the back and it is suspected that he or someone else he knows planted a gun close to the teen after he shot him.

 

[JRTurner]

His daughter should have done what the storeowner's daughter in Crash did--bought him blanks.

That should be the only ammo allowed these days. Make it a 'thing' that if you want live ammo--join the national guard (militia) or become a cop.

 

[MrNiceGuy]

Another "good guy with a gun" story. Did he think he was being looted? Protecting his property? Standing his ground? Or is this the new way owners think suspected shoplifters should be handled?

Store owner charged with murder for shooting teen he suspected of stealing water, police say

Rick Chow, who owns the Shell gas station on Parklane Road in Columbia, chased the 14-year-old from his store Sunday night and shot him just down the road.

www.fox8live.com

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS/Gray News) - A convenience store owner in South Carolina is facing murder charges after he shot and killed a 14-year-old boy he suspected of shoplifting.

The Richland County Sheriff’s Department says the shooting happened at a Shell gas station on Parklane Road in Columbia, around 8 p.m. Sunday.

Rick Chow, who owns the Shell gas station chased Cyrus Carmack-Belton from his store and shot him just down the road.

“It’s senseless, it doesn’t make sense,” Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott said in a Memorial Day press conference. “You have a family that’s grieving. We have a community that’s grieving over a 14-year-old who was shot.”

The owner told police he suspected Carmack-Belton of shoplifting inside the store, which the department said did not happen.

The department reviewed surveillance footage as part of this investigation.

“Regardless, even if he had shoplifted four bottles of water, which is what he initially took out of the cooler and then he put them back, even if he’d done that, that’s not something you shoot anybody over, much less a 14-year-old, but you just don’t do that,” Sheriff Lott said.

No excuse. Under those facts - Store owner in the wrong. Murder. The job of the store owner is to call the cops, not shoot shoplifters. Or, he could have detained the shoplifter while waiting for the cops. Otherwise, get a license plate or rely on the surveillance footage to identify the suspect.

 

[JRTurner]

The problem here is the teen didn't steal anything, not water, nothing else. He shot him in the back and it is suspected that he or someone else he knows planted a gun close to the teen after he shot him.

This makes me SOOO thrilled there were multiple witnesses--and that they're willing to come forward.

Apparently the store owner was considered "nasty" before this.

 

[MrNiceGuy]

That should be the only ammo allowed these days. Make it a 'thing' that if you want live ammo--join the national guard (militia) or become a cop.

National guard is not the militia.

 

[ClaraD]

This makes me SOOO thrilled there were multiple witnesses--and that they're willing to come forward.

Apparently the store owner was considered "nasty" before this.

I have been in that store on Parklane many times. He was anything but nice to people who were of color.

 

[JRTurner]

National guard is not the militia.

Name the militias then.

 

[ClaraD]

No excuse. Under those facts - Store owner in the wrong. Murder. The job of the store owner is to call the cops, not shoot shoplifters. Or, he could have detained the shoplifter while waiting for the cops. Otherwise, get a license plate or rely on the surveillance footage to identify the suspect.

He could not even legally detain him. The kid didn't steal anything. If he had detained him, that would be considered a crime.

 

[JRTurner]

I have been in that store on Parklane many times. He was anything but nice to people who were of color.

Let's see if he keeps up that attitude in prison.

 

[ClaraD]

Let's see if he keeps up that attitude in prison.

Oh, he is going to have a tough go of it in prison. First he killed a kid...and then he killed a kid in an area with a high concentration of minorities.

 

[BirdinHand]

When you encourage and applaud vigilante justice, this is what happens.

 

[MaryP]

That should be the only ammo allowed these days. Make it a 'thing' that if you want live ammo--join the national guard (militia) or become a cop.

Sensible, except black market, etc.... but if it could work, it would be a great idea. At least guys like Chow wouldn't be taking 14 year olds' lives.

 

[MaryP]

Let's see if he keeps up that attitude in prison.

I wonder if the Aryan Brotherhood will take him...

 

[JRTurner]

I wonder if the Aryan Brotherhood will take him...

He's Asian, so it's hard to tell. Depends on how out-numbered the Nazis are as to which non-blacks they'll allow into their ranks. Without a gun though, this nasty man looks like he'd lose a fight with a squirrel. Not sure he's got much to bargain with--well, unless he likes to drop his soap.

 

[MrNiceGuy]

He could not even legally detain him. The kid didn't steal anything. If he had detained him, that would be considered a crime.

Fair point. But if he reasonably suspected the person of stealing, he could detain him. But, really, this is ridiculous. Shooting a kid for shoplifting? Not cool.

 

[Ginger Ale]

The problem here is the teen didn't steal anything, not water, nothing else. He shot him in the back and it is suspected that he or someone else he knows planted a gun close to the teen after he shot him.

I don't doubt it. Many investigations have now found plenty of officers and civilians plant evidence. Poor kid, they just shaped her view of America for ever.

 

[MrNiceGuy]

When you encourage and applaud vigilante justice, this is what happens.

He's probably an Asian-supremacist.

 

[Ginger Ale]

I blame the gun supporting cons and our 2nd amendment for giving people like this the means, and the drive to pull off stupid.

 

[ElChupacabra]

Seems like a fitting charge given the circumstances as we know them so far. Had this been a situation where Chow shot back during an attempted armed robbery I'd have a different view, but he chased down Belton and shot him.

 

[mrjurrs]

Sensible, except black market, etc.... but if it could work, it would be a great idea. At least guys like Chow wouldn't be taking 14 year olds' lives.