The overhaul of South Carolina’s death chamber was completed three years ago, and now a team of sharpshooters is practicing for what will be the state’s first firing squad execution on Friday. Brad Sigmon, a 67-year-old convicted murderer, chose the firing squad over electrocution or lethal injection due to concerns over recent lethal injection executions in the state. His legal team argued that the state must disclose more information about its lethal injection protocol and the quality of the drugs on hand.
The return of the firing squad execution method is sparking debate about the death penalty in the U.S., with states like South Carolina and Idaho legalizing it due to a shortage of lethal injection drugs. The last firing squad execution in the U.S. was in 2010 in Utah, and witnesses described it as a clinical and precise procedure.
In South Carolina, the three-person firing squad will use live ammunition to shoot the inmate from behind a wall about 15 feet away. The inmate will be allowed to make a last statement before a hood is placed over his head and a target pinned over his heart. The use of the firing squad has drawn mixed reactions, with some considering it a humane form of punishment and others viewing it as barbaric.
Sigmon, who has spent two decades on death row, is described by his lawyer as devout and fearful of his impending execution. The execution chamber is located beside death row, and inmates have heard gunfire from practice sessions, adding to the unsettling atmosphere.
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