COLUMBIA, S.C. — A South Carolina man convicted of a brutal double homicide will face execution by firing squad, marking the first use of this method in the United States in 15 years. This method was selected for Brad Sigmon, who murdered his ex-girlfriend’s parents with a baseball bat in 2001. The execution will take place at the Broad River Correctional Institution in Columbia and will involve three volunteers from the state Department of Corrections firing rifles from a distance of 15 feet (approximately 4.6 meters).
Since 1985, South Carolina has carried out 46 executions using lethal injections and electrocution. Sigmon’s will be the first by firing squad. The U.S. has seen the firing squad method only three times since the 1976 reinstatement of the death penalty, all in Utah. Witnesses, including reporters, family members of the victims, and Sigmon’s attorney, will be present behind bulletproof glass. Sigmon has the opportunity to offer a final statement before his execution takes place.
The crime for which Sigmon is condemned involved the violent deaths of his ex-girlfriend’s parents in their Greenville County home. Evidence presented by prosecutors highlighted that he moved between rooms to commit the murders and later attempted to abduct his ex-girlfriend, from whom he was estranged. Despite firing at her, she managed to escape unharmed. Sigmon’s own words hinted at a possessive motive: “I couldn’t have her. I wasn’t going to let anybody else have her.”
The process for the execution will commence around 6 p.m. Before Sigmon is brought into the chamber, the warden will confirm with Gov. Henry McMaster and the Attorney General’s Office whether any clemency or legal obstacles exist. If cleared, Sigmon will be seated in a metal chair and positioned in front of witnesses, with a target placed over his heart. He will have a hood placed over his head before the squad of three riflemen carry out the execution.
Details surrounding the firing squad remain minimal due to legislation passed in 2023 to protect the identities and methods associated with lethal injections. A previous court case in 2022, however, confirmed the legality of the firing squad, alongside other execution manners, under the U.S. Constitution. The firing squad will utilize .308-caliber Winchester 110-grain TAP Urban ammunition, known for its use in law enforcement and designed to shatter upon impact to maximize heart destruction and minimize suffering.
State medical testimony in 2022 suggested that if fatal damage to the heart occurs, unconsciousness would follow almost instantaneously, reducing pain. However, a medical expert countered that the time until consciousness is lost could vary, emphasizing that any chest injury might prolong suffering and pain before death occurs, contingent on shot precision.
The state has not disclosed contingency plans in the event that an inmate survives the initial volley. Testimonies from the 2022 proceedings indicated that the firing squad could be required to shoot again if the first shots do not result in a timely death.