Wed Mar 05 14:36:46 UTC 2025: ## South Carolina to Use Firing Squad for First Time in 15 Years
**Columbia, SC** – South Carolina will carry out its first firing squad execution in 15 years on Friday, marking a resurgence of this historically significant method of capital punishment. Brad Sigmon, convicted of murdering his ex-girlfriend’s parents in 2001, opted for the firing squad over lethal injection and the electric chair.
The state’s decision reignites a debate about the ethics and practicality of capital punishment, highlighting the historical use of firing squads in the United States. Dating back to colonial times, with the first recorded execution by firing squad in Jamestown, Virginia, in 1608, the method has been used throughout US history, notably during the Civil War to execute deserters. Utah was the most frequent user in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with notable executions such as that of labor activist Joe Hill in 1915.
The rise of lethal injection in the 1980s led to a decline in firing squad executions. However, difficulties in obtaining lethal injection drugs and a rise in botched executions have prompted some states to reconsider alternatives. Criminologist Deborah Denno of Fordham School of Law has argued that firing squads offer a potentially more humane and reliable method.
Sigmon’s choice has sparked controversy. His attorney, Gerald “Bo” King, stated that his client believed the firing squad was the least inhumane option available. The execution will involve volunteer officers and a standard procedure of binding Sigmon to a chair with a target placed over his heart. As the nation continues to grapple with capital punishment, the renewed use of firing squads raises complex questions about justice and the value of human life.
First Piper 