A prisoner in the United States was executed by firing squad for the first time in 15 years

Afghan Voice Agency (AVA) - International Service: According to the Death Penalty Information Center, the execution of 67-year-old Brad Sigmon by the South Carolina Department of Corrections is the fourth execution by firing squad in the United States since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976.

 

According to CNN, Sigmon chose to be executed by firing squad instead of using lethal injection or the electric chair.

 

He was convicted in 2001 of murdering his ex-girlfriend's parents. After these two murders, he also kidnapped his ex-girlfriend, but she managed to escape.

 

One of the man's lawyers said: "Sigmon is the oldest and oldest person to be executed by this state."

 

Hours before the execution, several protesters gathered outside the prison, calling for an end to the death penalty, state media reported. They held banners that read “All lives are precious” and “No more killing.”

 

Since the 1970s, more than 1,600 executions have been recorded in the United States, the majority by lethal injection.

 

Since 1977, only three prisoners have been executed by firing squad, all in Utah.

 

According to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons, five states allow the use of firing squads: Idaho, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Utah.