Gas station owner who shot Cyrus Carmack-Belton previously shot two shoplifters

The South Carolina gas station owner charged with murdering an armed fourteen-year-old boy who he shot in the back after wrongly accusing him of shoplifting previously shot at two other thieves in his besieged store. 

Rick Chow, 58, is in custody for the murder of Cyrus Carmack-Belton, an armed 14-year-old who he chased out of his store in Columbia, South Carolina, on May 28. 

Chow and his adult son thought Cyrus had stolen bottled water. Cops say surveillance footage proves that he didn't. 

Rick Chow, 58, is in custody for the murder of Cyrus Carmack-Belton, a teen who he suspected of shoplifting and shot in the back. He has previously shot at two others he suspected of stealing

Police reports obtained by DailyMail.com detail how Chow escaped charges in the two other incidents because he was acting in self-defense 

In 2018, Chow shot Alex Aguilera, 23, after he attempted to steal a can of Easy Off cleaning spray. Aguilera was later charged and pleaded guilty to theft

The store owner and his son chased him outside and, when they realized he had a gun, Chow fired a single shot in his lower, right back. 

Chow - whose legal record is clean aside from some speeding violations - is in custody awaiting a bond hearing.

Police say that because Cyrus never drew his weapon or pointed it at them, they cannot argue self-defense. 

Sheriff Leon Lott told DailyMail.com earlier this week that Chow admitted to deputies that the boy never drew his weapon. 

It can now be revealed that over the last five years, Chow has called Richland County Sheriff's deputies for help 'hundreds' of times asking for help. 

The calls ranged from reports of shoplifting to larceny, assault, motor vehicle theft, vandalism, robbery and burglary. 

Sunday's incident is not the first time he has fired his weapon. 

The Xpress Mart Shell gas station in Columbia, South Carolina, is now boarded up with protest signs calling for 'Justice for Cyrus' outside 

Tributes to the 14-year-old boy who was killed on Sunday as he ran away from the store owner

This is how the shooting played out on Sunday. It remains unclear why Cyrus had a weapon, or how he obtained it

In 2015, Chow a female customer tried to steal two cases of Bud Light and a packet of peanuts from the store. 

Cyrus Carmack-Belton, 14, died on Sunday after being shot in the back

Chow confronted her in the parking lot, and the pair had a fight. 

Police reports obtained by DailyMail.com describe how she yelled 'I'm going to shoot you b***h' before getting into a waiting car with a male friend. 

Chow, whose glasses had been broken in the fight, retrieved his weapon and fired six shots at their car. No one was injured, and Chow was not charged. 

In 2018, he shot Alex Aguilera, 23, after he attempted to steal a can of Easy Off from the shelf. 

Chow followed him out of the store and demanded that he pay for it.

The man then struck him in the face. Chow pulled his weapon and fired two shots, shooting the man in the leg. 

The gas station was looted and vandalized after Cyrus' death on Sunday. Cops are now urging calm

Aguilera was taken into custody after being treated in the hospital. He later pleaded guilty to charges relating to the incident. 

Chow was never charged over either of the incidents because sheriffs ruled he was acting within self-defense.

They are, however, convinced that he murdered Cyrus. 

'[The store] has been victimized quite often with shoplifting.

'The owner has confronted shoplifters in the past and there have been physical altercations in the past.

'He has been assaulted in the past, and he has shot someone who attacked him but in that case it was self defense.

'In the other incidents, the use of force has been justified. 

'This time, it was not,' Sheriff Leon Lott told DailyMail.com earlier this week.