Death by firing squad: archaic method on the rise in US as Idaho opens new execution chamber
Summary
Idaho has become the first U.S. state to make the firing squad its main way to carry out executions. This method is growing in use as other execution methods face problems, but concerns remain about its potential to cause painful deaths.Key Facts
- Idaho’s department of corrections opened a new execution chamber using the firing squad by July 1, 2024.
- The state spent over $1 million, including $24,000 on special rifles for the firing squad.
- Idaho is the seventh state to allow the firing squad as an execution method.
- Four firing squad executions have happened in the U.S. since 2010, with two reportedly botched and causing prolonged suffering.
- There are claims some firing squad errors might have been deliberate, though this is not proven.
- Idaho switched to firing squads after problems with lethal injections, including a stopped execution due to IV line failures.
- Other states using or allowing firing squads include Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Utah, Florida, and Tennessee.
- The firing squad method involves shooting the prisoner in the heart to cause immediate death.
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