Idaho becomes first state to prefer death by firing squad for executions

Idaho Gov. Brad Little has made headlines by signing a bill that designates the firing squad as the preferred method of execution for capital punishment in Idaho. This makes Idaho the only state in the U.S. with this method of execution, with the law set to take effect next year.

The decision comes shortly after Brad Sigmon, 67, from South Carolina, was executed by firing squad for the murder of his ex-girlfriend’s parents in 2001. Sigmon was pronounced dead three minutes after being shot by three volunteer prison employees, marking the first time this method has been used in the U.S. in 15 years.

Idaho currently has nine prisoners on death row, but executions have not been carried out in the state for over a decade. Last year, an attempt to execute Thomas Eugene Creech failed when medical personnel were unable to establish an IV line for the lethal injection after an hour of trying.

The bill, which received support from over two-thirds of the Republican-controlled legislature, also keeps lethal injection as a backup method of execution. Little had previously approved a law in 2023 to add the firing squad as a backup option, although at that time, he stated that his preferred method was lethal injection.

Idaho now joins Utah, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Mississippi as the only states to legalize the firing squad as an execution method. The bill sponsor, Rep. Bruce Skaug, argued that the botched lethal injection of Creech highlighted the issues with that method, leading to the push for the firing squad.

This new execution method could have implications for the current death row inmates in Idaho, as well as for future cases like that of Bryan Kohberger, a suspect in the University of Idaho college murders. Prosecutors have indicated they will seek the death penalty for Kohberger if he is convicted, with his trial scheduled for later this year.

As the debate over capital punishment continues, Idaho’s move to resurrect the firing squad as an option for execution has sparked controversy and raised questions about the most humane and effective methods of carrying out the death penalty. Little’s decision has drawn both support and criticism, with advocates on both sides of the issue voicing their opinions.

In conclusion, the use of the firing squad as a preferred method of execution in Idaho marks a significant development in the state’s approach to capital punishment. As the debate over the death penalty continues to evolve, it remains to be seen how this decision will impact future cases and the broader conversation surrounding the ethics and efficacy of the death penalty.