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South Carolina Conducts First US Firing Squad Execution in 15 Years

  • #Capital punishment
  • #Murders and attempted murders
  • #Crime & justice
  • #United States of America
South Carolina Conducts First US Firing Squad Execution in 15 Years
story
MAR 8
Above: The death chamber at Broad River Correctional Facility in South Carolina, US. Image copyright: Eric Seals/The State/Tribune News Service/Contributor via Getty Images
story last updated MAR 8

The Spin

Narrative A

The firing squad execution is a barbaric relic that should be abolished. Forcing a man like Brad Sigmon to choose his death — electric chair, lethal injection, or bullets — is evil, stripping him of dignity in his final moments. Lethal injection, while imperfect, offers a less violent, more humane alternative, sparing witnesses the trauma of blood splatter and rifle cracks etched in their memory.

Guardian

Narrative B

Allowing a man to choose his execution method offers honor and dignity, respecting his final agency. Even Supreme Court Justice Sotomayor, who's no ardent death penalty supporter, notes its near-instant, painless nature, contrasting with lethal injection's history of botched, torturous failures — burning eyes and prolonged agony. The firing squad, chosen freely, aligns with humane self-defense, not barbarism.

The State

Narrative C

Every modern execution method — firing squad, lethal injection, and electric chair — is inherently cruel, marred by botched attempts and gruesome outcomes. South Carolina's firing squad revival for Brad Sigmon drags the US backward, echoing a brutal past of burning flesh and slow deaths. Instead of refining killing, we should seek alternatives, as history proves no method escapes cruelty's stain.

The Conversation

Narrative D

The death penalty isn't about coddling killers but deterring heinous crimes — a benefit proven by countless studies on the matter, with each execution preventing multiple murders. Despite this, anti-death penalty activists complain about whether lethal injections are FDA-approved, essentially prioritizing the feelings of murderers over victims. Justice demands deterrence, not sympathy for those who prey on the innocent.

The Heritage FoundationNational Review

Metaculus Prediction


Articles on this story

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NBCMAR 11
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The ConversationMAR 11
South Carolina moves ahead with ‘cruel’ firing squad execution despite outcry
GuardianMAR 11
Macabre state of U.S. capital punishment leads death row prisoner to 'choose' firing squad
MSNBCMAR 11
South Carolina double murderer Brad Sigmon becomes first US death row inmate to die by firing squad in 15 years
New York PostMAR 11
Who is Brad Keith Sigmon, the South Carolina Death Row inmate who chose the firing squad
USA TodayMAR 11
A firing squad is executing Brad Keith Sigmon in South Carolina today. What to know.
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A South Carolina man executed by firing squad is the first US prisoner killed this way in 15 years
Associated PressMAR 11
Brad Sigmon: South Carolina death row inmate to be executed by firing squad, first in US in 15 years
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South Carolina can now carry out firing-squad executions
CNNJUL 2022
South Carolina man Brad Sigmon executed by firing squad, first such execution in 15 years
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South Carolina Executes Double Murderer via Firing Squad
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Etched in my mind: witness to South Carolina firing squad execution describes killing
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