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4w ago

South Carolina Prepares for Second Firing Squad Execution in Over a Month

Mikal Mahdi, convicted of the 2004 murder of a police officer, is set to be executed this Friday as legal and procedural checks near completion.

Image
South Carolina's death chamber in Columbia is seen, containing the electric chair, right, and a firing squad chair, left.
Demonstrators protest the execution of death row inmate Brad Sigmon outside the Broad River Correctional Institution on March 7.
Idaho state Rep. Bruce Skaug, center, sponsored the bill that will make the firing squad his state's primary execution method instead of lethal injection.

Overview

  • Mikal Mahdi, 42, is scheduled to be executed by firing squad on April 11, 2025, for the murder of Capt. James Myers during a 2004 crime spree.
  • This will be South Carolina's second firing squad execution in just over a month, following the March 7 execution of Brad Sigmon.
  • Mahdi chose the firing squad over lethal injection or electrocution, considering it the least painful option among the state's approved methods.
  • Legal and procedural verifications, including clemency checks with Gov. Henry McMaster, are set to occur shortly before the execution.
  • The rare use of firing squads has reignited debates about ethical concerns and the influence of Mahdi's abusive upbringing on his trial defense.