South Carolina Executes Mikal Mahdi by Firing Squad in Rare Use of the Method

Mahdi, convicted of two 2004 murders, chose the firing squad, marking only the second U.S. use of this method since 2010.

Mikal Mahdi, 42, was executed by firing squad in South Carolina on April 11, 2025, for the 2004 murder of police officer James Myers and a convenience store employee.
This execution is the second instance of a firing squad being used in the U.S. since 2010, with Mahdi opting for the method over the state's default electric chair.
South Carolina law permits death row inmates to choose between the electric chair, lethal injection, or firing squad as their execution method.
Mahdi's attorneys highlighted his traumatic childhood, marked by abandonment and exposure to violence, as part of their plea for clemency, which was denied.
The execution is part of a broader context this year, with 12 executions carried out across the U.S., reflecting ongoing national debates over capital punishment practices.