South Carolina Executes Mikal Mahdi by Firing Squad in Second Such Execution in Five Weeks

The execution of Mahdi, convicted of a 2004 murder spree, highlights the state’s renewed use of firing squads after a 13-year pause in capital punishment.

Mikal Mahdi, 42, was executed by firing squad on April 11, 2025, at South Carolina's Broad River Correctional Institute.
Mahdi was convicted of the 2004 murders of off-duty police officer James Myers and convenience store clerk Christopher Boggs during a violent multi-state crime spree.
This marks South Carolina’s second firing squad execution in five weeks, following Brad Sigmon’s execution in March 2025.
Mahdi’s final appeals were rejected by the U.S. and South Carolina Supreme Courts, and Governor Henry McMaster denied clemency shortly before the execution.
The state’s adoption of firing squads is part of a broader effort to resume executions after years of lethal injection drug shortages, sparking ethical debates over execution methods.