- Restrained and hoodedThe prisoner is strapped into a chair and a hood is placed over the head
- Target over the heartA small target is placed on the chest over the heart
- Heart stopsSeveral shooters fire together, aiming to stop the heart at once
How this method works, stage by stage. Illustration by DeathRowStats.
This article explains how the method works at the level reported in court records and the news. It does not include doses or technical instructions.
Overview
The firing squad is one of the oldest execution methods still authorised in the United States. It was rarely used in the modern era until South Carolina carried out three firing squad executions in 2025. On 1 July 2026, Idaho became the first state to make it its main execution method. The US military has ordered that Nidal Hasan be executed by firing squad at Fort Hood on 3 December 2026, which would be the first military execution since 1961.
How it works
Several trained shooters fire at the same moment at a target placed over the prisoner's heart. The aim is to destroy the heart and stop blood circulation immediately, causing rapid loss of consciousness and death.
How it is administered
In South Carolina, the prisoner is strapped into a chair facing a wall with an opening, and a hood is placed over the head. A small target, or "aim point", is placed on the chest over the heart. Three firing squad members, who are corrections department volunteers with unpublished qualifications and training, stand behind the wall. After the warden reads the execution order, they fire together. Idaho also uses a three-member team of volunteers; Utah has historically used five officers.
What the prisoner may experience
When carried out as intended, death is thought to be very quick. In 2024 the South Carolina Supreme Court ruled that the firing squad is not cruel and unusual, finding that a prisoner would not suffer for longer than about 15 seconds. Some opponents of lethal injection, including some prisoners themselves, have argued it is more humane than other methods.
Problems are possible, however. After Mikal Mahdi's firing squad execution in South Carolina in April 2025, his lawyers said an autopsy showed only two bullet wounds instead of three and that the shots had largely missed his heart, which they said prolonged his death. The South Carolina Department of Corrections maintains that all three shots struck his heart and that the execution was carried out properly.
How long it takes
The shooting itself takes a moment. Death typically follows within seconds to a minute or so, depending on how accurately the heart is struck.
Cost
States have not published detailed costs. Idaho had to rebuild part of its execution chamber to accommodate the firing squad.
Availability
Unlike lethal injection, the firing squad does not depend on scarce drugs, which is a major reason states have turned to it. Its limits are legal and practical: states need trained volunteers, and many details, such as the shooters' training, are kept confidential under shield laws.
Where it is used
It is authorised in five states: Idaho (the primary method since 1 July 2026), South Carolina (where prisoners may choose it), Mississippi, Oklahoma and Utah. In 2025 the US Department of Justice moved to add the firing squad to federal execution methods, and the US military has ordered it for the execution of Nidal Hasan.