A death row inmate in South Carolina has opted for execution by firing squad. Brad Sigmon is set to be executed on March 7 for the brutal murder of his ex-girlfriend’s parents, David and Gladys Larke, in 2001. According to reports, after committing the murders with a baseball bat, Sigmon kidnapped his ex-girlfriend at gunpoint and fired at her when she escaped, although she survived.
If his execution proceeds, Sigmon will make history as the first person in South Carolina to be executed by firing squad since the state Supreme Court legalized this method in July 2024. This follows a period of legal uncertainty; a state court had previously halted executions by firing squad and the electric chair in 2022, despite their legalization in 2021.
Sigmon will also be the first person in the United States to face execution by firing squad since Ronnie Gardner made that choice back in 2010. The process involves the condemned being strapped to a chair with a hood over their head while five shooters positioned 20 feet away take aim with rifles.
Sigmon had until February 21 to decide on his method of execution, with the options being lethal injection or the electric chair. His attorneys sought a delay to review the circumstances surrounding a recent execution, but the request was denied. They indicated that Sigmon chose the firing squad option partly because he feared the potential for a botched lethal injection, which has resulted in prolonged suffering in recent executions in South Carolina.
Gerald “Bo” King, one of Sigmon’s lawyers, stated that choosing firing squad was regarded as the only viable option for Sigmon. He is aware of the realities of what the execution means for him and wishes to spare his family and those involved from further distress.
Sigmon’s execution is scheduled to take place at the Broad River Correctional Institution in Columbia, S.C., unless there are last-minute developments.
