South Carolina executes inmate by firing squad for first time in 15 years

For the first time in over a decade, South Carolina carried out its first execution by firing squad on Friday, putting 67-year-old Brad Sigmon to death at the South Carolina Department of Corrections' execution chamber in Columbia (via Reuters).

Convicted of brutally killing his ex-girlfriend's parents in 2001, Sigmon chose the method over the electric chair or lethal injection, fearing a more prolonged or painful death. Three executioners, standing 15 feet away, fired live rounds into a target placed over his heart.

Witnesses described a swift but chilling scene—Sigmon took two short breaths before blood spread across his chest. The execution was briefly delayed by a last-minute appeal to the United States Supreme Court, which was rejected without comment.

As lethal injection drugs become harder to obtain due to restrictions from the European Union, some states are reconsidering older methods, reviving debates over capital punishment in the United States.