In a historic and highly controversial move, South Carolina executed convicted murderer Brad Sigmon by firing squad on Friday, marking the first execution in the United States by this method in 15 years.

Sigmon, 67, had chosen to be executed by firing squad, stating his fear that alternatives, such as lethal injection or the electric chair, would result in a slower and more agonizing death. He was pronounced dead at 6:08 p.m. ET, confirmed Chrysti Shain, a spokesperson for the South Carolina Department of Corrections.

Sigmon was convicted for the brutal 2001 murders of William and Gladys Larke, the parents of his ex-girlfriend, whom he beat to death with a baseball bat at their home in Taylors, South Carolina. His execution on Friday marked the first use of a firing squad in the United States since 2010, when the last such execution took place in Utah.

Sigmon’s execution, the first by firing squad in South Carolina, has reignited debates over the use of the death penalty and the methods employed in carrying it out. Some advocates have raised concerns about the potential for cruel and unusual punishment, while others argue that the use of such methods is a necessary tool for justice.

A demonstrator holds a sign outside the South Carolina Department of Corrections (SCDC), following the execution of death row inmate Brad Sigmon, 67, by firing squad method, at the Broad River Correctional Institution in Columbia, South Carolina, U.S., March 7, 2025. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton

Inside the South Carolina Department of Corrections’ execution chamber in Columbia, Sigmon was strapped to a chair, his head covered by a hood with a target placed over his heart. Three executioners, positioned 15 feet (4.5 meters) away, simultaneously fired live ammunition at Sigmon.

Prior to the execution, Sigmon’s attorney, Bo King, read his client’s final statement aloud to witnesses, in which Sigmon expressed a call to action for fellow Christians to help end the death penalty. Sigmon also indicated his personal belief that no one should have to suffer the process of being executed.

The media witnesses, who were present during the execution, described Sigmon wearing a black jumpsuit with a bullseye target on his chest. They noted that no warning preceded the shots, which were fired simultaneously. The executioners’ bullets caused Sigmon to take two brief breaths before a bloodstain appeared on his chest. He was declared dead approximately three minutes after the shots rang out.

Earlier in the day, the U.S. Supreme Court rejected Sigmon’s final petition to halt his execution. In a brief, unsigned notice, the court denied his request, which argued that South Carolina’s refusal to disclose information about its lethal injection protocol violated his due-process rights.

The South Carolina Department of Corrections (SCDC) headquarters is seen behind barbed wire fence, where death row inmate Brad Sigmon, 67, will be executed on Friday by firing squad method, at the Broad River Correctional Institution in Columbia, South Carolina, U.S., March 6, 2025. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton

Sigmon’s decision to choose the firing squad came after his lawyer highlighted the potential risks of lethal injection, citing prior cases where executions lasted up to 20 minutes, during which the condemned person reportedly experienced severe suffering. Sigmon, King said, faced an impossible decision between the certainty of death by gunfire, which would destroy his heart and bones, and the terrifying prospect of a prolonged and painful death by lethal injection.

The United States has only seen three executions by firing squad since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976, all of which occurred in Utah—one of just five states that still offer this method, which was common in the 19th century. Lethal injection, introduced as a less violent method in the 1970s, has become the most common form of execution in the U.S., though it has faced increasing challenges. The Death Penalty Information Center has reported a growing number of botched executions and complications, including difficulty obtaining lethal injection drugs due to international trade restrictions and instances of severe physical distress during the procedure.