In Columbia, South Carolina, the state is moving forward with executing a man by firing squad, amidst legally mandated secrecy surrounding certain protocols. This decision comes after the state’s first recent use of a firing squad last month, offering a glimpse into how such executions are conducted. Witnesses will not observe a countdown before three volunteers with live ammunition fire at Mikal Mahdi on Friday at a prison in Columbia. Mahdi, sentenced to death for the 2004 murder of an off-duty police officer, has a target placed on his chest instead of wearing the standard green prison jumpsuit, opting for black jogging pants and a T-shirt instead.
Mahdi chose this method of execution over lethal injection or electrocution, following in the footsteps of inmate Brad Sigmon, who made a similar choice in March. Across the U.S., only three other individuals have been executed by firing squad since the death penalty’s reinstatement in 1976, all taking place in Utah. Mahdi, now 41, was convicted for the killing of James Myers, an Orangeburg Public Safety officer, who was ambushed and murdered in 2004. Myers’ wife discovered his burned body in their shed, which had sentimental value as the site of their wedding 15 months prior. Mahdi was apprehended shortly after the crime in Florida, driving Myers’ unmarked police vehicle.
Mahdi has also pleaded guilty to an earlier crime, the murder of Christopher Boggs, a convenience store clerk in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, which occurred three days prior to Myers’ death. For Boggs’ murder, Mahdi received a life sentence. On the day of execution, three prison employees will volunteer to carry out the firing squad execution. They will stand approximately 15 feet away, comparable to the distance between a basketball backboard and a free throw line.
Before execution, the warden will confer with Governor Henry McMaster and the Attorney General’s Office to confirm there is no clemency or legal hindrance to proceed. If cleared, Mahdi will be secured to a chair with restraints and positioned so that witnesses can see his right side. Mahdi’s final statement can be read by his lawyer or a prison official, following which a hood will be placed over his head. Without prior notification to the witnesses, shots will be fired. In the recent execution, a red stain appeared over the target on the condemned individual’s chest. A doctor will confirm Mahdi’s death, while witnesses are required to sign a document verifying what they observed.
Details about the executioners are minimal. They have undergone necessary training, although specifics are protected by a 2023 shield law that also conceals suppliers of lethal injection drugs. Information partly became public during a 2022 court case, which confirmed the legality of the firing squad, electric chair, and lethal injection without violating constitutional bans on cruel and unusual punishment. The state plans to employ .308-caliber Winchester 110-grain TAP Urban ammunition, commonly used in police rifles, chosen for its break-apart design upon impact, leading to maximum damage to internal organs like the heart.
A state medical expert testified that significant heart damage would lead to near-immediate loss of consciousness, with pain typically manifesting seconds later. However, a doctor representing inmates argued that consciousness could persist longer and breathing becomes extremely painful if the ribs are fractured. In instances of poor aim, the suffering could extend, as a dysfunctional heart might continue to pump blood. The public disclosures from the state do not clarify the protocol should the initial shots fail to be fatal, though testimony suggests the firing squad may have to shoot again.