Firing squad

1960

Since 1960 there have been seven executions by firing squad, four in Utah and three in 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". 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. 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. Brad Sigmon was executed in South Carolina on March 7, 2025 after also opting for a firing squad. On April 11, 2025, Mikal Mahdi became the second inmate to be executed by firing squad in South Carolina.