US prisoner executed by firing squad for first time in 15 years, sparking massive protests | Pics

A South Carolina man convicted of murder was executed by firing squad, the first in the US in 15 years. Brad Sigmon, 67, was shot by three prison staff.

Published on: Mar 08, 2025 12:43 PM IST

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A protester holds a sign outside the South Carolina Department of Corrections (SCDC) after death row inmate Brad Sigmon, 67, was executed by firing squad at Broad River Correctional Institution in Columbia, South Carolina, on March 7, 2025. (REUTERS)

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Demonstrators gather outside the South Carolina Department of Corrections (SCDC) following the execution of Brad Sigmon, 67, by firing squad. Since 1977, only three other U.S. prisoners have faced this method, all in Utah, with the last being Ronnie Lee Gardner in 2010. (REUTERS)

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On Friday in South Carolina, protesters holding signs reading “All life is precious” and “Execute justice, not people” assembled outside the prison ahead of Sigmon’s execution. (REUTERS)

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Three volunteer prison employees carried out Brad Sigmon’s execution using rifles. He was pronounced dead at 6.08 pm (local time) on Friday. (REUTERS)

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Randy Gardner holds the ashes of his brother Ronnie, the last U.S. death row inmate executed by firing squad, during a protest against Brad Sigmon’s execution in Columbia, SC on March 7, 2025. (AP)

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Sigmon’s lawyers said he chose the firing squad over electrocution, fearing he would be "cooked alive," and rejected lethal injection due to concerns of fluid rushing into his lungs. On Friday, he wore a black jumpsuit, a hood, and a white target with a red bullseye on his chest. (REUTERS)

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In the early 2000s, South Carolina carried out about three executions per year, ranking among the busiest death penalty states. But executions were paused for 13 years due to a shortage of lethal injection drugs. (REUTERS)

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South Carolina currently has 28 death row inmates, with two who have exhausted their appeals and are set to be executed, likely in the spring. Only one person has been added to death row in the last decade. (REUTERS)

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Before executions were halted, over 60 inmates were sentenced to death. Many later had their sentences reduced to life imprisonment or died while incarcerated. (REUTERS)