South Carolina Executes Inmate by Firing Squad, First in U.S. Since 2010

Brad Sigmon, 67, chose the firing squad over other methods, citing concerns about pain and suffering from lethal injection and the electric chair.

Brad Sigmon, convicted in 2002 for the brutal murder of his ex-girlfriend's parents, was executed by firing squad in South Carolina on March 7, 2025.
This marks the first use of a firing squad for execution in the United States since 2010 and the fourth such execution in the country in the past 65 years.
Sigmon opted for the firing squad, claiming it was less torturous than lethal injection or the electric chair, both of which he feared would cause prolonged suffering.
The execution was carried out by three prison employees firing simultaneously, with Sigmon declared dead three minutes later by a physician.
South Carolina resumed executions in 2022 after a 13-year pause, with Sigmon being the fourth person executed in the state since the resumption.