A South Carolina inmate, Brad Sigmon, is set to become the first person executed by firing squad in the U.S. in 15 years. His execution is scheduled for Friday at 6 PM local time. Sigmon was convicted of brutally killing his ex-girlfriend’s parents with a baseball bat in 2001.
If the execution takes place, it will follow a specific procedure. Sigmon will be strapped into a chair in the execution chamber. A target will be placed over his heart, and a bag will cover his head. Three volunteers will fire rifles from behind a curtain, aiming for the target simultaneously using special bullets designed to cause maximum damage.
Sigmon, now 67, also attempted to kidnap his ex-girlfriend during the violent episode. He ended up choosing the firing squad over lethal injection or the electric chair, citing concerns over the effectiveness of those methods.
The Case Against Sigmon
In 2001, Sigmon attacked his ex-girlfriend’s parents in their Greenville County home. He admitted to planning to harm his ex-girlfriend but she managed to escape. During discussions with detectives, he expressed a possessive mindset, stating he wouldn’t let anyone else have her.
This week, the South Carolina Supreme Court denied a last-minute appeal from Sigmon’s attorneys who wanted to delay the execution to investigate the drugs used for lethal injection. Rejections of clemency requests are common; since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976, no inmate in South Carolina has received clemency from a governor.
Execution Procedure
The process of execution by firing squad has unique elements. Sigmon will be secured in a chair that includes a basin to catch blood. The shooting will occur from 15 feet away, and after the shots, a doctor will declare him dead.
Witnesses can observe the execution from a secure area, but the identities of the executioners will remain undisclosed to protect them. South Carolina recently passed a law keeping the execution team’s identities and details about the lethal injection process secret, which has drawn legal challenges from the ACLU.
Firing Squad in Context
Traditionally, South Carolina has carried out most death sentences using the electric chair, but due to issues with lethal injection drugs, a firing squad area was constructed in 2022 at a cost of $54,000. Only three people have been executed by firing squad in the U.S. since 1976.
As debates about the ethics and effectiveness of these methods continue, Sigmon’s case highlights the complexities and controversies surrounding capital punishment today.
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