South Carolina to Execute Inmate by Firing Squad for First Time in 15 Years

Execution by Firing Squad

• 🎯 Brad Sigmon, convicted of killing his ex-girlfriend's parents, is scheduled for execution in South Carolina.
• ⚡ He chose death by firing squad over lethal injection and electrocution, reportedly fearing the former would be agonizing and the latter too unknown.
• 🗓️ This marks the first execution by firing squad in the U.S. in nearly two decades, and only the fourth in almost 50 years.

The Execution Process

• 👤 The 67-year-old inmate has been on death row for 23 years.
• 💥 The execution will involve three trained volunteers shooting the inmate, who will wear a hood and have a target on his chest.
• 🪞 Witnesses will be separated from the process by bulletproof glass.

South Carolina's Execution Methods

• ⚖️ South Carolina is one of only five states that authorize death by firing squad.
• 💉 The state has recently turned to firing squads due to a lack of lethal injection drugs.
• 🤝 Some human rights groups argue that a firing squad can be more humane than lethal injection, citing past botched executions.

Last-Minute Appeals

• 📜 Sigmon's lawyers have appealed to the governor to commute his sentence to life in prison.
• ⏰ The South Carolina Supreme Court rejected an 11th-hour appeal, and a decision on further intervention is expected by 6:00 p.m. tonight.