A jury in South Carolina found convenience store owner Chikei Rick Chow not guilty of murder, accepting his defense that he acted to protect his son. Chow fatally shot 14-year-old Cyrus Carmack-Belton in May 2023 after mistakenly accusing him of stealing water and pursuing him.

The defense contended that Chow fired the lethal shot because the teenager was armed with a loaded handgun and aimed it at his son during the chase, instilling fear for their lives.This self-defense argument was pivotal to the acquittal.

The defense asserted that Chow was compelled to make a rapid decision to safeguard his family after his son shouted that the fleeing teen possessed a gun.

While prosecutors conceded that the 14-year-old had a semiautomatic pistol, they argued that the teen never directed it at anyone and that the w ...