A new, legal form of execution is coming for death row inmates in Idaho. Death by firing squad will be an option in the state when lethal injections aren’t available and will be considered a last resort.
The state Senate passed the legislation Monday with a veto-proof majority, weeks after the state House did the same. The controversial form of execution will be used only when the state can’t obtain drugs needed for lethal injection. The last time an execution was postponed due to the lack of necessary chemicals was in November 2022.
Many states have renewed pushes for alternative execution methods in recent years. It’s difficult for states to get supplies needed for lethal injections. The supplies are costly and come with risks.
Death by firing squad typically consists of the death row inmate standing against a wall with multiple personnel simultaneously firing bullets at the prisoner’s heart.
Idaho state Rep. Bruce Skaug (R), who authored the bill, said death by firing squad is a more humane form of execution since lethal injections sometimes fail.
Mississippi, Utah, Oklahoma, and South Carolina currently have laws allowing firing squad executions if other methods are unavailable.
When the new law goes into effect, firing squad executions won’t be a regular occurrence. Idaho has only conducted three executions since 1976. There have only been four executions by firing squad in the U.S. since 1960, all occurring in Utah.
