In a historic and somber event, Brad Sigmon became the first death row inmate in the United States to be executed by firing squad in 15 years. The execution took place in South Carolina, where Sigmon, a convicted double murderer, met his fate on Thursday evening. At precisely 6:08 p.m., he was pronounced dead after a meticulously orchestrated execution process that involved trained volunteers, high-caliber bullets, and a target placed over his heart.
Brad Sigmon, sentenced to death in 2002 for the brutal bludgeoning of his ex-girlfriend's parents with a baseball bat, had personally chosen the firing squad as his method of execution. The decision was influenced by his claim that he lacked sufficient information about the lethal injection option. South Carolina law mandates that death row inmates must select their own method of execution from available options, which include lethal injection, the electric chair, and the firing squad.
The execution scene was set with precision. A white target with a red bullseye was affixed to Sigmon's chest. Three state corrections department volunteers armed with rifles took their positions behind a wall approximately 15 feet away. At the designated moment, they simultaneously opened fire through openings in the wall, unleashing .308-caliber Winchester 100-grain TAP Urban bullets at the target on the hooded killer's heart.
"I couldn’t have her, I wasn’t going to let anybody else have her."
Sigmon's actions were driven by this chilling sentiment, as expressed in court documents during his trial. His crime left an indelible mark on the community and ultimately led to his death sentence.
The firing squad was not visible to the roughly 12 witnesses present. Seated in a room separated from the chamber by bullet-resistant glass, they were startled by the sudden gunfire that pierced through the silence. Each shooter discharged one round simultaneously, resulting in a powerful impact that blasted the target off Sigmon's chest. Sigmon briefly tensed as he was struck and appeared to take several heavy breaths during the two-minute process that culminated in his death.
A doctor entered the chamber approximately one minute after the gunfire ceased and examined Sigmon for about 90 seconds before declaring him deceased. The execution marked the end of Sigmon's life as well as his position as the oldest of 46 South Carolina inmates executed since the death penalty resumed in the United States in 1976.
Sigmon's final moments were not without reflection. He expressed a desire for his closing statement to embody a message of love and a call to action against capital punishment.
"I want my closing statement to be one of love and a calling to my fellow Christians to help us end the death penalty,"
he stated, urging for change within the context of Christian beliefs.
"Because we no longer live under the Old Testament law but now live under the New Testament."
This appeal highlighted his internal conflict and desire for a legacy beyond his violent past.
The execution brought attention to South Carolina's adherence to stringent death penalty protocols. No governor in the state has granted clemency since the death penalty's reinstatement nearly five decades ago. Sigmon's choice of execution method underscores ongoing debates about the ethics and methods of capital punishment.
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