Brad Keith Sigmon, sentenced to death for the 2002 murder of a 70-year-old man, was executed by firing squad in South Carolina on March 7, 2025. This marks the state’s first use of this execution method since it was reintroduced in 2021 due to shortages of lethal injection drugs. Sigmon’s execution was conducted at 6:12 p.m. at the Broad River Correctional Institution in Columbia and he was pronounced dead at 6:28 p.m. A gathering of supporters and opponents outside the facility expressed their views, with Sigmon’s family describing him as ‘like a dog’ to the family due to his criminal actions, while various activists decried the use of execution altogether. Sigmon, who was 41 years old at the time of execution, faced an uphill legal battle, including an attempt to have the execution halted based on claims of constitutional violations concerning his 8th Amendment rights. This method, viewed by many as controversial, raises ongoing discussions about the morality and efficiency of capital punishment. Sigmon’s case emphasizes the intense and emotional debate over the death penalty in America, especially as the nation continues to confront issues surrounding justice, racism, and the legal system. South Carolina has struggled with execution methods, and although Governor Henry McMaster supported the return of the firing squad, it remains unclear how many executions will follow. The last recorded execution in the U.S. by firing squad occurred in 2010 in Utah, and there are no current plans to resume these practices outside of South Carolina. The state aims to ensure that all appeals are exhausted to follow through with planned executions.
South Carolina Executes Brad Sigmon by Firing Squad, the First in the U.S. Since 2010
