Brad Sigmon Executed by Firing Squad in South Carolina
Brad Keith Sigmon, a death row inmate in South Carolina, was executed by firing squad on March 7, 2025. The execution marks a rare use of this method in the United States, highlighting ongoing debates about the ethics and legality of capital punishment. Sigmon was convicted of a double murder committed in 2001, and despite numerous appeals, his sentence was carried out at a facility near Columbia, South Carolina.
The execution has reignited discussions on the death penalty, with advocates arguing it serves as a necessary deterrent while opponents decry it as inhumane. South Carolina's decision to use a firing squad came after difficulties in obtaining lethal injection drugs, prompting the state to revive this method as an alternative.
The case has drawn significant national and international attention, focusing on the broader implications of execution methods and the future of capital punishment in the U.S. Legal experts and human rights organizations continue to monitor and debate these developments, emphasizing the need for a comprehensive review of death penalty practices across the country.
Detailed South Carolina firing squad execution
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What state uses the firing squad?
Five states – Idaho, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Utah allow execution by firing squad, according to DPI. In Mississippi and Oklahoma, the firing squad option is available “if nitrogen hypoxia, lethal injection, and electrocution are held unconstitutional or 'otherwise unavailable,'” they state.
How is the firing squad carried out in South Carolina?
The gurney used to carry out lethal injections had been rolled away.The volunteers all fired at the same time through openings in a wall. They were not visible to about a dozen witnesses in a room separated from the chamber by bullet-resistant glass.When the shots were fired, the target was blasted off Sigmon's chest.
What caliber does the South Carolina firing squad use?
The state will use .308-caliber Winchester 110-grain TAP Urban ammunition often found in police rifles, said Colie Rushton, the director of Security and Emergency Operations at the Corrections Department.
What is the South Carolina death penalty?
On May 14, 2021, Governor Henry McMaster signed into law Act 43 of 2021, restoring the electric chair as the default method of execution if lethal injection was unavailable, and added the firing squad as an option upon the offender's request.
