Bond Denied Again in 2023 Gas Station Shooting Death of 14-Year-Old
Rick Chow, the former owner of a Columbia gas station, has been denied bond for a second time in connection to the fatal shooting of 14-year-old Cyrus Carmack-Belton. Chow is accused of chasing Carmack-Belton from his store in May 2023 and shooting him in the back, allegedly for stealing bottled water. Despite arguments from his defense team, including the presence of DNA evidence linking Carmack-Belton to a gun found at the scene, the prosecution maintained that Chow remains a danger and a flight risk. A pretrial hearing for the case is scheduled for November.
John Q. Hosedrinker