Death by firing squad: archaic method on the rise in US as Idaho opens new execution chamber

Key Points:

• Idaho has become the first US state to adopt the firing squad as its primary execution method, retrofitting its death chamber and purchasing specialized rifles for volunteer marksmen, amid growing concerns about the method’s potential for causing extreme pain.
• The firing squad is gaining popularity as an alternative to lethal injection, which has faced frequent complications and supply shortages; Idaho joins six other states that allow execution by firing squad.
• Despite claims that firing squads provide a quick and painless death by targeting the heart, historical and recent cases reveal botched executions where shooters missed the critical left ventricle, causing prolonged suffering.
• Experts and legal filings have raised disturbing allegations that some missed shots may have been intentional, potentially as a form of retributive punishment, with one case suggesting racial bias in the execution of a Black inmate in South Carolina.
• The secrecy surrounding firing squad executions and the emotional biases of human executioners have led some legal scholars to question the method’s reliability and humanity, challenging its reputation as the "least inhumane" execution option.