Civil Rights Organizations Condemn Fatal Shooting of Cyrus Carmack-Belton
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 11, 2026
CONTACT:
media@naacpldf.org , media@aaldef.org, scostas@advancingjustice-aajc.org, nicole@asianamericanadvocacyfund.org, media@advancingjustice-atlanta.org, tcandori@nul.org, glakew@nul.org
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Following the June 1 acquittal of Rick Chow in the fatal shooting of Cyrus Carmack-Belton in 2023, the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF), Asian American Advocacy Fund, Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC, Asian Americans Advancing Justice-Atlanta, the Legal Defense Fund (LDF), and the National Urban League issued the following statement:
“Fourteen-year-old Cyrus Carmack-Belton’s life was callously cut short by store owner Rick Chow, who shot Cyrus in the back as he was running away.
“Our hearts go out to Cyrus’s family who are facing a devastating loss that too many Black families experience.
“Narratives that attempt to justify this killing or promote collective blame to communities fuel harm and increase the risk of further violence. Cyrus’s killing is a reminder of a painful chapter in the history of Black and Asian relations in the United States. Over three decades ago in Los Angeles, an Asian shop owner killed Latasha Harlins, a 15-year-old Black girl who was shopping in the owner’s store. A year later, Los Angeles—especially its Black and Asian neighborhoods— was on fire after the acquittal of the police officers involved in the brutal beating of Rodney King led to a widespread uprising.
“The senseless killing of a Black teenager has occurred too often. Black youth, like all young people, deserve protection from violence and the chance to grow into adulthood.
“As racial justice organizations that have long fought against hate, violence, and discrimination, we work together to dismantle the white supremacist systems that harm our communities.
“Cyrus should be alive. Our communities should be safe. Our safety is interconnected, and we are strongest when we reject efforts to divide us.”
