Firing Squad Execution: A Controversial Return

The execution of Brad Sigmon by firing squad in South Carolina marks the first use of this method in the U.S. in 15 years. Sigmon, convicted of two murders, chose the firing squad over the electric chair or lethal injection due to fears of a more torturous death. The execution was witnessed by media, and Sigmon's final messages called for an end to the death penalty.

In a historic and controversial move, South Carolina executed Brad Sigmon by firing squad on Friday, the first such execution in the United States in 15 years. Sigmon, aged 67, opted for this method as he feared the electric chair and lethal injection might lead to a prolonged and agonizing demise.

Sigmon was declared dead at 6:08 p.m., as confirmed by Chrysti Shain, spokesperson for the South Carolina Department of Corrections. Convicted of murdering his ex-girlfriend's parents in 2001 with a baseball bat, Sigmon was strapped to a chair, hooded, and marked with a target at the Columbia-based execution chamber, where three executioners delivered fatal shots from a distance of 15 feet.

The U.S. Supreme Court had denied Sigmon's last-minute appeal citing due-process violations by South Carolina regarding its lethal injection protocols. According to his lawyer, Bo King, Sigmon faced an 'impossible choice' between the firing squad and the potential 20-minute suffering of lethal injection, notorious for its execution complications.

(With inputs from agencies.)