BLOOD, JUSTICE, AND CONTROVERSY: BRAD SIGMON’S FINAL MOMENTS IN AMERICA’S FIRST FIRING SQUAD EXECUTION SINCE 2010
A moment of reckoning unfolded as Brad Sigmon, a convicted double murderer, met his end by firing squad—marking the first such execution in the United States in over a decade. This chilling event, carried out by the South Carolina Department of Corrections on March 8, 2024, has reignited fiery debates over capital punishment, the ethics of execution, and the brutality of the justice system.
A Grim Choice: Lethal Injection, Electric Chair, or Bullets? Sigmon, 67, was offered three state-sanctioned methods to meet his fate: lethal injection, the electric chair, or the firing squad. He chose the latter—perhaps the swiftest, yet undeniably the most violent. At precisely 6:05 p.m. ET, three simultaneous gunshots shattered the silence, and by 6:08 p.m., a doctor pronounced him dead.
Convicted for the 2001 brutal murders of his ex-girlfriend’s parents and the subsequent kidnapping of his ex, Sigmon spent 23 years behind bars, embracing religion and penning a final statement calling for an end to the death penalty.
“Nowhere Does God Give Man the Authority to Kill Another Man” In his last words, Sigmon quoted scripture, pleading with fellow Christians to fight against capital punishment. He decried state-sanctioned executions as inhumane, sparking renewed debate about the morality of the death penalty in America.
His attorney, Gerald “Bo” King, painted a chilling picture of the execution: “Three bullets shattered his bones and destroyed his heart. But that was the only choice he had after witnessing the prolonged, torturous deaths of others executed by lethal injection.”
Protests, Politics, and a Justice System on Trial Outside the prison walls, protesters rallied against what they called a barbaric practice. Signs reading “All Life is Precious” and “No More Killing” lined the streets. Meanwhile, South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster denied Sigmon’s last-minute clemency plea, sealing his fate.
Sigmon’s attorneys had also fought to halt the execution, arguing that the state refused to disclose information about lethal injection drugs—an issue that has plagued capital punishment in the U.S. in recent years.
The Mechanics of a Firing Squad Execution The procedure itself was as chilling as its history. Sigmon, dressed in a black jumpsuit, was strapped into a chair. A hood was placed over his head, and executioners—three Department of Corrections employees who volunteered for the job—fired from 15 feet away. Witnesses reported that a “small red stain” appeared on his chest as the bullets hit their mark.
Compared to lethal injection, which has faced controversy for botched procedures, the firing squad was deemed “quick and efficient.” But does efficiency justify its brutality?
The Death Penalty’s Brutal Evolution Since the 1970s, over 1,600 executions have taken place in the U.S., with lethal injection being the most common method. Firing squad executions remain exceedingly rare, with only four occurring since 1976. The last before Sigmon’s was in Utah in 2010.
Five states still allow the method—South Carolina, Utah, Idaho, Oklahoma, and Mississippi—while Idaho is considering making it the primary execution method due to difficulties obtaining lethal injection drugs.
What Comes Next? With 28 inmates still on death row in South Carolina and firing squads being considered in more states, this execution has opened a new chapter in America’s death penalty debate.
Are we witnessing a return to the old ways of execution, or is this a final, desperate act in a crumbling system? One thing is certain—Brad Sigmon’s final moments will leave a lasting stain on the conscience of a nation grappling with justice, vengeance, and morality.
Let the debate rage on.
