Columbia, South Carolina: South Carolina has carried out its first execution by firing squad in over a decade, marking the first use of the method in the United States since 2010. The execution took place on Friday, with convicted murderer Brad Sigmon, 67, choosing the firing squad over the electric chair or lethal injection, fearing the latter methods could result in a prolonged and painful death.
According to Chrysti Shain, spokesperson for the South Carolina Department of Corrections, Sigmon was pronounced dead at 6:08 p.m. ET. He had been convicted of brutally killing his ex-girlfriend’s parents, William and Gladys Larke, in 2001 by bludgeoning them with a baseball bat at their home in Taylors, South Carolina.
A South Carolina man became the first inmate to be executed by firing squad in the United States since 2010. Brad Sigmon chose the method, saying he feared the alternatives would risk a slower and more torturous death https://t.co/SMAilJh6Vp pic.twitter.com/bb0Efx4o20
— Reuters (@Reuters) March 9, 2025
Execution Process
Sigmon was strapped into a metal chair inside a steel basin at the execution chamber in Columbia. A hood was placed over his head, and a target was affixed to his chest over his heart. Three executioners, positioned 15 feet (4.5 meters) away, fired their weapons simultaneously.
Witnesses reported that Sigmon was dressed in a black jumpsuit with a bullseye marked on his chest. There was no verbal warning before the shots were fired. According to media witnesses, Sigmon appeared to take two short breaths after the shots struck him, and a bloodstain quickly spread on his chest. He was pronounced dead within three minutes.
Sigmon’s Final Words
Shortly before the execution, Sigmon’s attorney, Bo King, read his final statement to witnesses. Sigmon called upon his fellow Christians to help end the death penalty, making an emotional plea against capital punishment.
Supreme Court Denial
Just hours before the scheduled execution, the U.S. Supreme Court rejected Sigmon’s final petition to halt the process. In a brief, unsigned notice with no recorded dissents, the court denied his application, which had argued that South Carolina’s refusal to disclose details about its lethal injection protocol violated his due-process rights.
The Firing Squad as an Execution Method
The execution of Sigmon marks only the fourth instance of a firing squad being used in the U.S. since the Supreme Court reinstated the death penalty in 1976. The three prior executions took place in Utah, one of five states that still allow the method, which was commonly used in the 19th century, particularly during the Civil War era.
Lethal injection remains the most widely used execution method in the U.S., introduced in the 1970s as a supposedly more humane alternative. However, studies and reports indicate that it has become the most frequently botched method, according to the Death Penalty Information Center.
Ongoing Challenges with Lethal Injection
States across the country have faced increasing difficulties in obtaining the necessary drugs for lethal injections, largely due to a European Union ban on pharmaceutical companies selling drugs for use in capital punishment. Additionally, executioners have often struggled to locate suitable veins for injections, leading to prolonged and distressing procedures.
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Autopsies of those executed by lethal injection have revealed cases of frothy, blood-filled fluid in the lungs—an indication that some prisoners may have experienced the painful sensation of drowning before death. Such findings have fueled ongoing debates over the humanity and reliability of different execution methods in the U.S.
The Dilemma of Execution Methods
Sigmon’s lawyer, Bo King, emphasized the dilemma his client faced in choosing a method of execution.
“Sigmon was left to decide whether to die by the firing squad, knowing that the bullets are going to break the bones in his chest and destroy his heart, or risk a 20-minute-long execution strapped to a gurney with his lungs filling with blood and fluid,” King said. “This is an impossible choice.”
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As the debate over capital punishment continues in the U.S., Sigmon’s execution has reignited discussions on the ethics and methods of carrying out the death penalty.
