In a rare and solemn event, a man from South Carolina has become the first person to be executed by firing squad in the United States in over 15 years. This marked a significant and somber moment in the country’s correctional history, highlighting the complexities of capital punishment and the variety of methods employed across different states.
The execution, carried out on a Friday, involved a team of three volunteer shooters from the state’s Department of Corrections, who fired specially designed bullets at the inmate’s chest. The man, identified as 67-year-old Brad Sigmon, was pronounced dead by a doctor at 6:08 PM local time, just minutes after the shots were fired. Members of the victim’s family and Sigmon’s spiritual adviser were in attendance to witness the execution.
Sigmon’s case dates back to 2001, when he was found guilty of murdering David and Gladys Lark with a baseball bat. The crime was part of a violent incident in which Sigmon also kidnapped his former girlfriend, who managed to escape as he fired at her. The use of the firing squad was reportedly at Sigmon’s own request, marking a departure from the more common methods of lethal injection or the electric chair used in South Carolina.
According to witnesses, Sigmon was strapped to a chair with a hood over his head and a target over his heart. The executioners fired three bullets simultaneously, hitting Sigmon in the chest. The bullets used were .308 Winchester TAP Urban rounds, designed to break apart upon impact to cause maximum damage. However, medical experts continue to debate the level of pain that such rounds might inflict on the victim.
Prior to the execution, Sigmon’s lawyer, Bo King, attempted to file a last-minute appeal to halt the procedure, but it was unsuccessful. In his final days, Sigmon had requested a last meal of three buckets of original recipe KFC chicken to share with other inmates on death row, but this request was denied. Instead, his last meal consisted of fried chicken, green beans, mashed potatoes, gravy, biscuits, cheesecake, and sweet tea.
This execution is only the third to be carried out by firing squad in the United States since 1977, with all previous instances occurring in Utah. The most recent case prior to this was that of Ronnie Lee Gardner in 2010. The execution of Brad Sigmon serves as a stark reminder of the varied and often controversial methods of capital punishment employed across the United States, sparking ongoing debates about the ethics and humanity of such practices.
Sources close to the event, including the BBC, have reported on the solemn and precise manner in which the execution was carried out, underscoring the gravity of the event and its implications for the nation’s penal system. As the United States continues to grapple with the moral and legal complexities of capital punishment, incidents like these prompt renewed reflection on the nature of justice and compassion in the country’s correctional institutions.
