South Carolina executed Mikal Mahdi by firing squad on Friday. He was the second man killed by this method in just five weeks. The state brought back the firing squad due to problems getting lethal injection drugs. Mahdi was 42 years old. He chose the firing squad over the electric chair and lethal injection and gave no final words. He didn’t look at the nine witnesses watching through bulletproof glass. After the shots hit him, he cried out. His arms moved. A red bull’s-eye was taped to his chest. It was pushed into the bullet wounds after he was shot. He groaned again, then went quiet. His breathing slowed. A doctor checked him for over a minute. Mahdi was declared dead at 6:05 p.m. The entire execution took less than four minutes.
The Firing Squad Has a Dark History
Armies around the world used firing squads for hundreds of years. They shot soldiers who tried to run away. In the Old West, people saw it as a form of frontier justice. Dictators and brutal regimes also used it to kill people.
South Carolina lawmakers say this method is faster and more humane. The state has struggled to get lethal injection drugs. So the law now gives inmates three choices: firing squad, electric chair, or lethal injection.
In Mahdi’s case, the prison picked three volunteer shooters. These shooters belonged to the execution team. The state keeps their names secret by law.
Lawyer Says Execution Was Cruel and Inhumane
Mahdi’s lawyer, David Weiss, called the execution cruel and unnecessary. He said Mahdi had to choose between three painful ways to die. Weiss said Mahdi picked the least horrible one. He called the whole process a “horrifying act” that did not belong in modern times. He said this should not happen in a civilized country. Mahdi had no hope left. His last appeal was rejected days before his death. Weiss believes the legal system failed his client from childhood to the end.
Five Executions in South Carolina Since September
South Carolina had not executed anyone since 2011. But that changed last year. Mahdi became the fifth person executed since September. The state is now working through cases that were on hold. Mahdi is one of many inmates who ran out of appeals. In the U.S., 12 people have been executed so far in 2025. Last year, 25 inmates were executed in 9 different states. Some states use lethal injection. Others, like Alabama and Louisiana, have started using nitrogen gas. South Carolina now uses both firing squad and lethal injection.
Mahdi’s Final Meal Before Execution
Before he died, Mahdi was given a last meal. He chose ribeye steak cooked medium. He also asked for mushroom risotto, broccoli, collard greens, cheesecake, and sweet tea. Prison officials provided the food earlier in the day.
The Murder of Officer James Myers
Mahdi was convicted for killing Officer James Myers in 2004. Myers was an off-duty cop working in Orangeburg, South Carolina. Mahdi shot him at least eight times. He then burned his body. Myers’ wife found him in their backyard shed. The same shed had been part of their wedding a year earlier. Mahdi had tried to use a stolen credit card at a nearby gas station. He left behind a carjacked vehicle. Police later found him in Florida. He was driving Myers’ unmarked police truck. He confessed to the killing.
Another Murder Just Days Before
Three days earlier, Mahdi killed another man. His name was Christopher Boggs. He worked at a gas station in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Mahdi shot him twice in the head during a robbery. Boggs had asked to see his ID. Mahdi was caught and later sentenced to life in prison for that murder. Both crimes showed clear and violent intent. Mahdi’s background and mental state became key parts of his defense.
Legal Defense Claims Childhood Trauma
Mahdi’s lawyers said his trial defense was weak. They claim his first legal team failed to tell the full story, didn’t bring in family, teachers, or experts. They didn’t explain his trauma. His defense during the sentencing phase lasted just 30 minutes. His current attorneys said the trial was rushed. They said it didn’t go deep enough. Mahdi had a violent childhood. His father threw his mother through a glass table. He later told Mahdi that his mother was dead, even though she wasn’t. When Mahdi was in fifth grade, his father pulled him out of school. School officials had recommended he get help for behavior issues.
Violence Continued Behind Bars
Prosecutors said Mahdi chose violence again and again. Even after his death sentence, he kept attacking people. While on death row, he stabbed a prison guard. He also hit another staff member with a concrete block. Prison staff caught him three times with homemade weapons. One of those weapons was a sharpened piece of metal, strong enough to help him escape.
Prison records listed many violent acts. Prosecutors said Mahdi never stopped using violence. They believed he didn’t change because violence was part of who he was.
A Busy Death Chamber and a Secretive Process
South Carolina’s death chamber has been active since new laws passed. The state now hides the names of execution team members. They also keep drug suppliers and procedures secret. This has allowed executions to continue without protest or delay. Mahdi’s execution followed one just five weeks earlier. Three other inmates were executed by lethal injection since September. Right now, the state has 28 people on death row. Only one man has been sentenced to death in the last ten years. But more cases are reaching the end of the legal line.
