South Carolina's return to executions, including by firing squad

Gone quiet · last story Nov 14, 2025

What this arc covers

South Carolina's return to executions: the court fights over its methods, including a 2022 ruling that the firing squad and electric chair were unconstitutional and the state Supreme Court's 2024 ruling upholding them, the state's securing of lethal injection drugs after a 12-year pause, its first execution in 13 years in September 2024 and the executions that followed, including Richard Moore's, and its 2025 executions, including Brad Sigmon, the first person executed by firing squad in the US in 15 years, the second firing-squad execution weeks later, and lawyers' claim that the bullets mostly missed one executed man's heart.

South Carolina

Earliest story we hold Sep 6, 2022 · 16 stories · 70 independent sources (counted once each) · 1165 days

Part ofSouth Carolina

Part of The death penalty

  1. South Carolina's return to executions, including by firing squadThis arcSep 6, 2022 – Nov 14, 2025
  2. Florida's record pace of executions under Ron DeSantisFeb 13, 2025 – Oct 5, 2026
  3. Christa Pike's failed execution and Tennessee's halt to executionsOct 1, 2025 – Oct 5, 2026
  4. Texas's executions in the fall of 2026Sep 15 – Oct 8, 2026
  5. The Fort Hood shooter Nidal Hasan's execution by firing squadOct 5 – Oct 7, 2026

Where it standsnewest first · each bar runs left to right by leaning

Nov 14– 152025A South Carolina man is executed by firing squad for 2004 killings11 articles · 10 independent sources
2 left, 3 center, 2 right
Jun 13– 142025South Carolina executes man who was serving death sentences in two murders8 articles · 8 independent sources
4 left, 1 center, 0 right
May 82025Lawyers for man executed by firing squad in South Carolina say bullets mostly missed his heart6 articles · 6 independent sources
1 left, 1 center, 1 right

Key momentsthe most covered; every story is below

  1. Jul 31 – Aug 1, 2024South Carolina Supreme Court rules state death penalty including firing squad is legal16 articles · 15 independent sources
  2. Sep 20 – 21, 2024South Carolina inmate dies by lethal injection in state’s first execution in 13 years28 articles · 22 independent sources
  3. Oct 31 – Nov 2, 2024South Carolina executes Richard Moore despite broadly supported plea to cut sentence to life27 articles · 20 independent sources
  4. Feb 21 – 22, 2025Condemned South Carolina killer chooses to be executed by firing squad15 articles · 15 independent sources
  5. Mar 4 – 8, 2025A South Carolina prisoner is the first executed by a firing squad in 15 years49 articles · 34 independent sources

Who covered it, over timeindependent sources per week, by side

Sep 2022Apr 2023Dec 2023Aug 2024Mar 2025Nov 2025

LeftCenterRight

Point at or tap a week to see its count by side.

Every week as a table
Week ofLeftCenterRightArticles
Sep 5, 202232119
Sep 18, 20230124
Feb 5, 20241116
Jul 29, 202425515
Aug 19, 20242026
Sep 16, 2024110227
Oct 28, 202436326
Jan 27, 20251338
Feb 17, 202531415
Mar 3, 2025811656
Apr 7, 202517023
May 5, 20251116
Jun 9, 20254108
Nov 10, 202523210

Stories before June 28, 2026 come from archived pages, so who covered them is limited to the outlets we recovered for that period.

34% left · 52% center · 14% right of 70 independent sources among the outlets we track, across 16 stories.

Every storyoldest first

  1. September 2022

    Sep 6– 7South Carolina judge rules firing squad, electric chair unconstitutional19 articles · 10 independent sources
    3 left, 2 center, 1 right

  2. September 2023

    Sep 19After unintended 12-year pause, South Carolina secures drug to resume lethal injections5 articles · 5 independent sources
    0 left, 1 center, 2 right

  3. February 2024

  4. July 2024

    Jul 31– Aug 1South Carolina Supreme Court rules state death penalty including firing squad is legal16 articles · 15 independent sources
    2 left, 5 center, 5 right

  5. August 2024

    Aug 24Date set for South Carolina's first execution in more than 13 years6 articles · 6 independent sources
    2 left, 0 center, 2 right

  6. September 2024

    Sep 20– 21South Carolina inmate dies by lethal injection in state’s first execution in 13 years28 articles · 22 independent sources
    1 left, 10 center, 2 right

  7. October 2024

    Oct 31– Nov 2South Carolina executes Richard Moore despite broadly supported plea to cut sentence to life27 articles · 20 independent sources
    3 left, 6 center, 3 right

  8. January 2025

    Jan 31– Feb 1S.C. executes convicted murderer8 articles · 8 independent sources
    1 left, 3 center, 3 right

  9. February 2025

    Feb 21– 22Condemned South Carolina killer chooses to be executed by firing squad15 articles · 15 independent sources
    3 left, 1 center, 4 right

  10. March 2025

    Mar 4– 8A South Carolina prisoner is the first executed by a firing squad in 15 years49 articles · 34 independent sources
    8 left, 9 center, 6 right
  11. Mar 5– 8Brad Keith Sigmon final words before South Carolina execution10 articles · 3 independent sources
    0 left, 2 center, 0 right

  12. April 2025

    Apr 11– 12South Carolina executes second man by firing squad in 5 weeks15 articles · 9 independent sources
    1 left, 5 center, 0 right
  13. Apr 11South Carolina plans execution by firing squad for Mikal Mahdi9 articles · 3 independent sources
    0 left, 2 center, 0 right

  14. May 2025

    May 8Lawyers for man executed by firing squad in South Carolina say bullets mostly missed his heart6 articles · 6 independent sources
    1 left, 1 center, 1 right

  15. June 2025

    Jun 13– 14South Carolina executes man who was serving death sentences in two murders8 articles · 8 independent sources
    4 left, 1 center, 0 right

  16. November 2025

    Nov 14– 15A South Carolina man is executed by firing squad for 2004 killings11 articles · 10 independent sources
    2 left, 3 center, 2 right