South Carolina Inmate Brad Sigmon to be Executed by Firing Squad, a Method Not Used in the US in 15 Years

Brad Sigmon, a South Carolina inmate, is set to be executed by firing squad for the 2001 murders of his ex-girlfriend's parents, David and Gladys Larke. Sigmon was convicted of beating the couple to death with a baseball bat and later kidnapping his ex-girlfriend at gunpoint. He chose the firing squad over lethal injection or the electric chair, citing concerns about the effectiveness of the other two methods.

The firing squad execution method involves three volunteer corrections staff members firing loaded rifles at the inmate's heart from 15 feet away. The inmate is strapped to a chair with a hood over their head, and a target is placed on their chest. The bullets used are designed to break apart on impact and cause maximum damage. Medical experts have debated the amount of pain caused by this method, with some arguing that it is a more humane way to die than other execution methods.

The use of the firing squad as an execution method has been met with controversy and criticism from human rights groups and advocates for the abolition of the death penalty. Sigmon's attorneys have argued that the state's secrecy surrounding the execution process and the lack of transparency about the lethal injection drugs used in the state are unconstitutional. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has also filed a lawsuit challenging the state's law requiring the identities of the execution team members to remain secret.