- Brad Sigmon, 67, becomes first U.S. inmate executed by firing squad since 2010
- Sigmon chose firing squad over electric chair due to fears of painful death
- South Carolina resumes executions after 13-year pause due to lethal injection shortages
- Religious groups and activists protest as state schedules executions every five weeks
- 28 inmates remain on death row with declining new sentences over past decade
South Carolina marked a grim milestone Friday as Brad Sigmon became the first U.S. prisoner executed by firing squad in 15 years. The 67-year-old, convicted of brutally murdering his ex-girlfriend's parents in 2001, faced three prison employees armed with rifles in a specially designed chamber. Sigmon's final moments included visible physical reactions to the gunshots, with witnesses observing chest wounds and labored breathing before a physician declared his death at 6:08 p.m.
Sigmon's case highlights growing concerns about execution methods nationwide. His legal team argued that both electrocution and lethal injection carried unacceptable risks of suffering, citing South Carolina's secretive lethal injection protocols. This execution marks the state's return to capital punishment after a 13-year hiatus caused by pharmaceutical companies refusing to supply execution drugs. Since 1976, 46 inmates have been executed in South Carolina, with firing squads now joining electric chairs and lethal injections as approved methods.
The decision to revive firing squads places South Carolina alongside Utah in using this controversial method. Utah executed Ronnie Lee Gardner by firing squad in 2010 and may soon execute dementia patient Ralph Menzies using the same method. These cases raise ethical questions about the humanity of different execution techniques, particularly for inmates with mental health conditions. A regional analysis shows Southern states account for 80% of U.S. executions since 1976, with method availability increasingly dictating execution timelines.
Outside the prison, protesters held vigils with signs condemning capital punishment. Despite appeals highlighting Sigmon's model prison behavior and mental health struggles during his 2001 crime spree, Governor Henry McMaster denied clemency. The state Supreme Court recently approved accelerated execution schedules, with inmates now facing death sentences every five weeks. As pharmaceutical companies continue blocking drug access, experts predict more states may reconsider older execution methods, potentially normalizing practices many consider archaic.
South Carolina's death row population has dwindled from over 60 to 28 inmates, reflecting national trends toward fewer capital sentences. Only one new death row inmate has been added in the past decade, suggesting shifting public attitudes toward capital punishment. However, the state's aggressive new execution schedule indicates determined efforts to clear existing cases. With two inmates nearing final appeals and possible spring executions, South Carolina's revival of firing squad executions may signal a new chapter in America's complex relationship with the death penalty.