South Carolina Carries Out First Firing Squad Execution in 15 Years

Execution of Brad Sigmon

• 🎯 Brad Sigmon, 67, was executed by firing squad at 6:05:50 p.m. in South Carolina, following a court order.
• ⚖️ Sigmon was sentenced to death in 2002 for the 2001 murder and burglary of David and Gladys Lark, whom he beat to death with a baseball bat.
• ✝️ In his final statement, read by his attorney, Sigmon expressed a desire for love and called on fellow Christians to help end the death penalty, citing New Testament teachings on grace and mercy over Old Testament law.

Witness Account of the Execution

• 📰 Associated Press reporter Jeffrey Collins described Sigmon being strapped into a chair with a target over his heart.
• 🎤 After a prison employee placed a hood over Sigmon's head and lifted a shade, shots were fired approximately two minutes later.
• 🩸 A small, irregularly shaped red stain was visible on Sigmon's chest following the execution, and a small piece of tissue emerged from the wound.

Witnesses Present

• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Witnesses included three members of the Lark family, representatives from the solicitor's office and sheriff's department, Sigmon's attorney, his spiritual advisor, and three members of the news media.
• 📝 Following the execution, the media witnesses were scheduled to address the press and answer questions from a podium.