A man was executed in South Carolina via firing squad.
A man was executed in South Carolina via firing squad. This method had not been used in almost 15 years and it has never been used in the state. The only other two state approved methods besides firing squad is the lethal injection and the electric chair. Brad Sigmon, 67, was convicted of the double murder of his ex-girlfriend's parents in 2021. He also kidnapped his ex-girlfriend and held her at gunpoint; however, she managed to escape to safety.
Sigmon’s attorney said that the choice to choose between the different punishments were “impossible” and “barbaric”. If Sigmon didn’t choose between the lethal injection or firing squad then by default he would be turned to a crisp in the electric chair. Gerald “Bo” King stated that Brad has no illusions about what being shot will do to his body. He does not wish to inflict that pain on his family, the witnesses, or the execution team.” Compared to the other choices, firing squad does seem like the viable option because it will end the pain the fastest.
Today we live in a day where many believe that if someone murders a person then they should get life in prison. Many believe that the death penalty is the easy way out or even inhumane. However, I do not believe this. A man ended the lives of two parents. He took away the two people that would always love their daughter unconditionally and there is nothing that could justify that. Some relationships do end badly but that doesn’t mean you should retaliate and resort to killing and leaving someone with trauma. This punishment is completely justified because it will help the family get justice and heal from this wound that could have been avoided. Approximately 2,250 are on death row and the rate of execution declines each year. Morals do become a big deciding factor on how people choose to handle this situation. Hopefully in the future the prison system will get better with time.