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Execution by firing squad
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===United States=== {{Main|Capital punishment in the United States|Capital punishment debate in the United States}} [[File:Map of US firing squad usage.svg|thumb|left|Firing squad usage in the United States. {{legend|#FFFF33;|State uses this as a secondary method}} {{legend|#7fff00;|State once used this method, but does not anymore}} {{legend|#0099CC;|State has never used this method}} <!--{{legend|#CC0633;|State has considered using a firing squad}}-->]] During the [[American War of Independence]], General George Washington approved a sentence of death by firing squad, but the prisoner was later pardoned.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://allthingsliberty.com/2016/02/george-washington-convenes-a-firing-squad/|title = George Washington Convenes a Firing Squad|date = 9 February 2016}}</ref> During the [[American Civil War]], 433 of the 573 men executed were shot dead by a firing squad: 186 of the 267 executed by the Union Army, and 247 of the 306 executed by the Confederate Army. The [[United States Army]] carried out 10 executions by firing squad during World War II from 1942 to 1945, including [[Eddie Slovik]], the only US soldier to be executed for desertion.<ref>Two tables of U.S. Soldiers executed during [[World War II]]'s [https://web.archive.org/web/20060615113300/http://users.bestweb.net/~rg/execution/WWII%20MILITARY%20EXECUTIONS.htm European Theater]</ref> The United States Army took over [[HM Prison Shepton Mallet|Shepton Mallet prison]] in [[Somerset]], U.K. in 1942, renaming it Disciplinary Training Center No.1 and housing troops convicted of offences across Europe. There were eighteen executions at the prison, two of them by firing squad for murder: U.S. Army Pvt. Alexander Miranda on 30 May 1944 and Pvt. Benjamin Pygate on 28 November 1944. Locals complained about the noise, as the executions took place in the prison yard at 1:00am.{{citation needed|date=March 2022}} In 1913, [[Andriza Mircovich]] became the first and only inmate in [[Capital punishment in Nevada|Nevada]] to be [[execution by shooting|executed by shooting]].<ref name="NSLA-Mircovich">{{cite web|title=Nevada State Prison Inmate Case Files: Andriza Mircovich|url=http://nsla.nevadaculture.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1691&Itemid=95|publisher=Nevada State Library and Archives|access-date=November 8, 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100406062256/http://nsla.nevadaculture.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1691&Itemid=95|archive-date=April 6, 2010}}</ref> After the warden of [[Nevada State Prison]] could not find five men to form a firing squad,<ref name="NYTimes-19120812-shoot">{{cite news|title=No One To Shoot Murderer|url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1912/08/12/104903993.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1912/08/12/104903993.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=August 12, 1912|access-date=November 9, 2010}}</ref> a shooting machine was built to carry out Mircovich's execution.<ref name="NevadaLawyer-201006-style">{{cite journal|last=Cafferata|first=Patty|title=Capital Punishment Nevada Style|url=http://www.nvbar.org/Publications/NevadaLawyer/2010/June/capital.htm|journal=Nevada Lawyer|publisher=State Bar of Nevada|date=June 2010|access-date=November 8, 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100718113236/http://www.nvbar.org/publications/NevadaLawyer/2010/June/capital.htm|archive-date=July 18, 2010}}</ref> [[File:Andriza Mircovich NSP mug shot.png|thumb|right|[[Andriza Mircovich]] was the first and only inmate in [[Capital punishment in Nevada|Nevada]] to be [[execution by shooting|executed by shooting]].]] [[John Deering (murderer)|John W. Deering]] allowed an [[electrocardiography|electrocardiogram]] recording of the effect of gunshot wounds on his heart during his 1938 execution by firing squad,<ref name="Elephants-Acid-2007-p246">{{cite book|last=Boese|first=Alex|chapter=Heartbeat at Death|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Wc-UlRRWQ1EC&q=john+deering&pg=246|title=Elephants on Acid: And Other Bizarre Experiments|publisher=[[Houghton Mifflin Harcourt]]|pages=246β249|access-date=December 20, 2010|year=2007|isbn=978-0156031356}}{{Dead link|date=March 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> and afterwards his body was donated to the [[University of Utah School of Medicine]], at his request. Since 1960 there have been six executions by firing squad, four in [[Capital punishment in Utah|Utah]] and two in [[Capital punishment in South Carolina|South Carolina]]: The 1960 execution of [[James W. Rodgers]], [[Gary Gilmore]]'s execution in 1977, [[John Albert Taylor]] in 1996, who chose a firing squad for his execution, according to ''[[The New York Times]]'', "to make a statement that Utah was sanctioning murder".<ref name="AP-NYT">{{cite news|url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=950DE2D61F39F934A15752C0A960958260|title=Firing Squad Executes Killer|newspaper=The New York Times|date=1996-01-27|access-date=2008-06-16}}</ref> However, a 2010 article for the British newspaper ''[[The Times]]'' quotes Taylor justifying his choice because he did not want to "flop around like a dying fish" during a lethal injection.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.thetimes.com/article/utah-death-row-inmate-ronnie-lee-gardner-elects-to-die-by-firing-squad-235xphbvvgh | newspaper= The Times | date=2010-04-24 | title=Utah death row inmate Ronnie Lee Gardner elects to die by firing squad | author= Giles Whittell | location=London| author-link= Giles Whittell }}</ref> [[Ronnie Lee Gardner]] was executed by firing squad in 2010, having said he preferred this method of execution because of his "[[Mormon]] heritage". Gardner also felt that lawmakers were trying to eliminate the firing squad, in opposition to popular opinion in Utah, because of concern over the state's image in the [[2002 Winter Olympics]].<ref name="Deseret-19960209-threatens">{{cite news|last=Donaldson|first=Amy|newspaper=[[Deseret News]]|url=http://www.deseretnews.com/article/470713/INMATE-THREATENS-TO-SUE-IF-STATE-WONT-LET-HIM-DIE-BY-FIRING-SQUAD.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100619233533/http://www.deseretnews.com/article/470713/INMATE-THREATENS-TO-SUE-IF-STATE-WONT-LET-HIM-DIE-BY-FIRING-SQUAD.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=June 19, 2010|title=Inmate threatens to sue if state won't let him die by firing squad|page=A1|access-date=2010-09-25|date=1996-02-09}}</ref> [[Brad Sigmon]] was executed in South Carolina on March 7, 2025 after also opting a firing squad.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-03-08 |title=Brad Sigmon: Double murderer is first US inmate executed by firing squad in 15 years |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c8j0me0jzwko |access-date=2025-03-08 |website=www.bbc.com |language=en-GB}}</ref> On April 11, 2025, [[Mikal Mahdi]] became the second inmate to be executed by firing squad in South Carolina.<ref name="AP11Apr2025">{{Cite news |work=[[Associated Press]] |date=April 11, 2025 |title=South Carolina kills executes second man by firing squad in 5 weeks |url=https://apnews.com/article/firing-squad-execution-south-carolina-mikal-mahdi-25466963350812080385524ccc3a9298 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |work=[[USA Today]] |date=April 11, 2025 |title=Mikal Mahdi executed by firing squad in South Carolina for off-duty officer's brutal murder |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2025/04/11/mikal-mahdi-execution-firing-squad-south-carolina/83048661007/ }}</ref> Execution by firing squad was banned in Utah in 2004,<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/3519310.stm|title=Utah bans firing-squad executions|date=March 17, 2004}}</ref> but as the ban was not [[ex post facto law|retroactive]],<ref name="methods_united_states">{{cite web|url=http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/methods-execution|title=Methods of Execution|access-date=2010-06-17|year=2010|publisher=[[Death Penalty Information Center]]}}</ref> three inmates on Utah's [[death row]] have the firing squad set as their method of execution.<ref name="DeseretNews-20100122-abolish">{{cite news|last=Dobner|first=Jennifer|url=http://www.deseretnews.com/article/590037757/Plan-to-abolish-firing-squad-advances.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130102112431/http://www.deseretnews.com/article/590037757/Plan-to-abolish-firing-squad-advances.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 2, 2013|title=Plan to abolish firing squad advances|newspaper=[[Deseret News]]|pages=1β2|access-date=2010-10-03|date=January 22, 2004}}</ref> [[Capital punishment in Idaho|Idaho]] banned execution by firing squad in 2009,<ref name="dpic_recent_legislative_activity">{{cite web|url=http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/recent-legislative-activity|title=Recent Legislative Activity|year=2009|access-date=2009-10-30|publisher=[[Death Penalty Information Center]]}}</ref> temporarily leaving [[Oklahoma]] as the only state utilizing this method of execution (and only as a secondary method). Reluctance by drug companies to see their drugs used to kill people has led to a shortage of the commonly used lethal injection drugs.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.csg.org/pubs/capitolideas/enews/issue65_4.aspx|title=Lethal Injection Drug Shortage|last=Horne|first=Jennifer|date=2017|work=Council of State Governments|access-date=2017-04-07|archive-date=2016-03-23|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160323013417/http://www.csg.org/pubs/capitolideas/enews/issue65_4.aspx|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-oe-alper-lethal-injection-shortages-20150414-story.html|title=Why the execution drug shortage won't go away|date=2015-04-13|work=Los Angeles Times|access-date=2017-04-07|language=en-US|issn=0458-3035}}</ref> In March 2015, Utah enacted legislation allowing for execution by firing squad if the drugs they use are unavailable.<ref>Associated Press. [http://www.sltrib.com/news/2326783-155/firing-squad-gets-final-ok-so "Firing squad gets final OK. So how does it work?"] ''Salt Lake City Tribune'' (March 24, 2015).</ref> Several other states are also exploring a return to the firing squad.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.usnews.com/news/the-report/articles/2017-03-03/the-firing-squad-is-making-a-comeback-in-death-penalty-cases|title=The Firing Squad Is Making a Comeback in Death Penalty Cases|date=2017-03-03|work=US News|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170303190445/https://www.usnews.com/news/the-report/articles/2017-03-03/the-firing-squad-is-making-a-comeback-in-death-penalty-cases|archive-date=2017-03-03|url-status=dead|access-date=2017-04-07}}</ref> Thus, after waning in both use and popularity in recent decades, as of 2022, firing squad executions appear to be at least anecdotally regaining popularity as an alternative to [[lethal injection]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Chammah |first1=Maurice |title=The Return of the Firing Squad? |url=https://www.themarshallproject.org/2022/04/08/the-return-of-the-firing-squad |website=[[The Marshall Project]] |access-date=26 April 2022 |date=8 April 2022}}</ref> On January 30, 2019, South Carolina's Senate voted 26β13 in favor of a revived proposal to bring back the electric chair and add firing squads to its execution options.<ref>{{Cite web|title=S 176 General Bill|url=https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess123_2019-2020/bills/176.htm|access-date=2020-06-14|website=www.scstatehouse.gov|publisher=South Carolina General Assembly}}</ref> On May 14, 2021, [[Governor of South Carolina|South Carolina Governor]] [[Henry McMaster]] signed a bill into law which brought back the [[electric chair]] as the default method of execution (in the event lethal injection was unavailable) and added the firing squad to the list of execution options. South Carolina had not performed executions in over a decade, and its lethal injection drugs expired in 2013. Pharmaceutical companies have since refused to sell drugs for lethal injection.<ref>{{Cite web|title=SC governor signs law|date=17 May 2021|url=https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/553849-south-carolina-governor-signs-law-giving-inmates-choice-between-firing}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=2021-2022 Bill 200: Executions |url=https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess124_2021-2022/bills/200.htm |website=www.scstatehouse.gov}}</ref> On April 7, 2022, the [[South Carolina Supreme Court]] scheduled the execution of [[Richard Bernard Moore]] for April 29, 2022.<ref>{{cite news|last=Betz|first=Bradford|date=April 7, 2022|title=South Carolina schedules execution of death row inmate, has his choice between electric chair or firing squad|work=[[Fox News]]|url=https://www.foxnews.com/us/south-carolina-schedules-execution-of-death-row-inmate-has-his-choice-between-electric-chair-or-firing-squad|access-date=April 15, 2022}}</ref> On April 15, 2022, Moore chose to be executed by firing squad instead of the electric chair,<ref>{{cite news|last=Liu|first=Michelle|date=April 15, 2022|title=South Carolina inmate picks firing squad over electric chair|work=[[Associated Press]]|url=https://apnews.com/article/business-south-carolina-executions-5517b5184f8818bdd53e252af3b9cfc1|access-date=April 15, 2022}}</ref> however, his execution was later stayed by the [[South Carolina Supreme Court]],<ref>{{cite news|last=Liu|first=Michelle|date=April 20, 2020|title=Court halts South Carolina plan for firing squad execution|work=[[Associated Press]]|url=https://apnews.com/article/us-supreme-court-business-crime-executions-south-carolina-e460cd28fad87b099ca96cab6c07099e|access-date=April 24, 2022}}</ref> and was executed on November 1, 2024 by [[lethal injection]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://apnews.com/article/south-carolina-execution-richard-moore-clemency-e3e74f9309ec23eab220d93b7b0dfc29|title=South Carolina executes Richard Moore despite broadly supported plea to cut sentence to life|publisher=[[Associated Press]]|access-date=January 5, 2025}}</ref> On March 20, 2023, a firing squad bill passed the Idaho state legislature, and was signed by the governor.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/idaho-set-bring-back-death-185704369.html | title=Idaho set to bring back death by firing squad | date=20 March 2023 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://kidotalkradio.com/idaho-moves-to-bring-back-firing-squad-as-means-of-execution/ | title=Idaho Moves to Bring Back Firing Squad as Means of Execution | date=21 March 2023 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/firing-squad-idaho-executions-law-b2304620.html | title=Firing squad executions to return in Idaho after lawmakers pass controversial bill | website=[[Independent.co.uk]] | date=21 March 2023 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.9news.com.au/world/idaho-to-allow-firing-squad-executions-new-law/a9662184-1960-41c9-8ab2-8830d83bd5b1 | title=US state to allow firing squad executions due to shortage of lethal drugs | date=21 March 2023 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.kake.com/story/48610565/idaho-governor-signs-firing-squad-execution-bill-into-law | title=Idaho governor signs firing squad execution bill into law | date=25 March 2023 }}</ref> In 2023, The Tennessee legislature debated about using the firing squad as a means of execution.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2023-02-27/idaho-execution-by-firing-squad-draft-legislation | title=Why Idaho is considering bringing back execution by firing squad | website=[[Los Angeles Times]] | date=27 February 2023 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.newsweek.com/why-idaho-considering-firing-squad-executions-1783353 | title=Why Idaho is considering firing squad executions | website=[[Newsweek]] | date=23 February 2023 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.insider.com/idaho-bill-execution-firing-squad-lethal-injection-drugs-2023-2 | title=Idaho GOP lawmaker who wants to bring back firing squads says it's a 'more humane' option than lethal injection | website=[[Insider.com]] }}</ref> <ref>{{cite web | url=https://newschannel9.com/news/local/firing-squad-discussed-at-tennessee-capitol-as-option-for-death-row-inmates-lethal-injection-capital-crimes-prison-prisoners | title=Firing squad discussed at Tennessee capitol as option for death row inmates | date=March 2023 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.wkrn.com/news/tennessee-politics/bill-to-execute-death-row-inmates-by-firing-squad-clears-another-hurdle-lawmaker-suggests-adding-hanging-on-a-tree/ | title=Bill to execute death row inmates by firing squad clears another hurdle, lawmaker suggests adding 'hanging on a tree' | date=March 2023 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Execution Costs in Idaho Take Center Stage with New Firing Squad Law |url=https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/news/execution-costs-in-idaho-take-center-stage-with-new-firing-squad-law |access-date=2024-02-17 |website=Death Penalty Information Center |language=en-US}}</ref> On February 7, 2025, the [[South Carolina Supreme Court]] scheduled the execution of [[Brad Sigmon]] for March 7, 2025.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://apnews.com/article/south-carolina-execution-brad-sigmon-lethal-injection-311af3d76e1b62e2cdd7a16f845811db | title=South Carolina sets next execution date as inmate questions lethal injection doses | website=[[Associated Press]] | date=7 February 2025 |access-date=21 February 2025}}</ref> He was given the choice to die by lethal injection, firing squad, or electrocution, the latter of which his lawyers stated he did not want to die from.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://apnews.com/article/south-carolina-execution-brag-sigmon-lethal-injection-34c595eca7e1c4fc222ca8d0dca64e66 | title=Man on death row in South Carolina seeks postponement to get autopsy from last execution | website=[[The Associated Press]] | date=14 February 2025 | access-date=21 February 2025}}</ref> Due to concerns about the lethal injection doses, on February 21, 2025, Sigmon chose to die by firing squad.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/21/us/execution-firing-squad-south-carolina.html | title=South Carolina Death Row Inmate Chooses to Be Executed by a Firing Squad | website=[[The New York Times]] | date=21 February 2025 }}</ref> On March 7, 2025, at just after 6 PM EST, Sigmon was executed and pronounced dead a few minutes later.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Medina |first=Eduardo |title=South Carolina Executes Inmate by Firing Squad |website=The New York Times |date=March 7, 2025 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/07/us/south-carolina-firing-squad-execution.html}}</ref> Three weeks after Sigmon was executed, [[Mikal Mahdi]], another prisoner from South Carolina's death row, also elected to be put to death by firing squad after receiving an execution date of April 11, 2025. He was executed as scheduled, becoming the fifth person in the United States and the second in South Carolina to be executed by this method. His execution is the most recent one to have been carried out by firing squad in the United States.<ref name="AP11Apr2025"/> On March 12, 2025, Idaho Governor [[Brad Little]] signed a bill to designate [[firing squad]] as the primary execution method in the state. [[Idaho]] became the first state with such a policy.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://idahocapitalsun.com/2025/03/12/idaho-will-be-only-state-with-firing-squad-as-main-execution-method-after-governor-signs-bill/|title=Idaho will be only state with firing squad as main execution method, after governor signs bill|date=March 12, 2025|work=Idaho Capital Sun}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/crime/idaho-governor-bill-firing-squad-b2714148.html|title=Idaho governor signs bill making firing squad the state's primary execution method|date=March 12, 2025|work=}}</ref> As of 2025, Idaho, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Utah are the only states that use firing squad for the death penalty.
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