South Carolina Executes Brad Sigmon by Firing Squad, Marking U.S. Death Penalty Milestone
Brad Sigmon, 67, executed by firing squad in South Carolina, becomes the first U.S. inmate killed by this method in 15 years.
It is unfathomable that, in 2025, South Carolina would execute one of its citizens in this bloody spectacle.
Man executed by firing squad is the first US prisoner killed this way in 15 years
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Sigmon's lawyer, Bo King, had been hoping for a last-minute stay of execution by the South Carolina governor and accused the state of withholding information about the lethal injection process.
Brad Sigmon: Double murderer is first US inmate executed by firing squad in 15 years
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The killing was the first execution by firing squad in the state's history.
Brad Keith Sigmon final words before South Carolina execution
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Executions in South Carolina resumed in September, when the state – once one of the leaders in executions – ended a 13-year halt in administering the death penalty.
Convicted double murderer executed by firing squad in South Carolina
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The execution came shortly after the U.S. Supreme Court denied Sigmon's last remaining appeal, and Republican South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster declined to grant him clemency.
Firing squad executes Brad Keith Sigmon in South Carolina in 'bloody spectacle'
USA TODAY·2d·ReliableThis source consistently reports facts with minimal bias, demonstrating high-quality journalism and accuracy.CenterThis outlet is balanced or reflects centrist views.It is unfathomable that, in 2025, South Carolina would execute one of its citizens in this bloody spectacle.
A South Carolina man executed by firing squad is the first US prisoner killed this way in 15 years
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The Supreme Court’s Republican-appointed majority has been broadly skeptical of death row claims, making it a difficult, though not impossible, task for prisoners like Sigmon to win such challenges.
Macabre state of U.S. capital punishment leads death row prisoner to ‘choose’ firing squad
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The state now directs men on death row to choose their method of death – electric chair, lethal injection or firing squad.
South Carolina conducts first US firing squad execution in 15 years: ‘Barbaric’
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The state has released some details about how it plans to carry out the firing squad execution; the last one occurred in 2010 in Utah, the only state that has used the firing squad since the Supreme Court ruled the death penalty constitutional in 1976.
South Carolina kills death-row prisoner in state's first firing squad execution
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Summary
In a historic move, South Carolina executed 67-year-old Brad Sigmon by firing squad, the first execution of its kind in the U.S. since 2010. Sigmon, who chose this method due to concerns over lethal injection, was convicted in 2001 for the brutal murders of his ex-girlfriend’s parents. The firing squad comprised three volunteer prison employees who shot him from 15 feet away, an execution described as a 'bloody spectacle' by critics. Sigmon's final statement called for an end to the death penalty, while his lawyers raised concerns about his mental fitness. This execution signifies a controversial moment in South Carolina's death penalty history.
Perspectives
Brad Sigmon's execution by firing squad marks a controversial revival of capital punishment in South Carolina, with concerns raised about the safety and humanity of this method.
Despite Sigmon's transformation and calls for clemency, the state proceeded with the execution, adhering to laws that now require condemned inmates to choose their execution method.
The decision to use the firing squad was influenced by concerns over lethal injection protocols and the potential anguish they can cause, framing the firing squad as a less barbaric alternative.