Execution Squad

Lore & Background

A firing squad is normally composed of at least several shooters, all of whom are usually instructed to fire simultaneously, thus preventing both disruption of the process by one member and identification of who fired the lethal shot. To avoid disfigurement due to multiple shots to the head, the shooters are typically instructed to aim at the heart, sometimes aided by a paper or cloth target. The prisoner is typically blindfolded or hooded as well as restrained. Executions can be carried out with the condemned either standing or sitting. There is a tradition in some jurisdictions that such executions are carried out at first light or at sunrise, giving rise to the phrase 'shot at dawn'.

In Their Own Story

Associated Press writer Jeffrey Collins described the execution by firing squad of a murderer, Brad Sigmon, in 2025 as follows: 'Mr. Sigmon’s lawyer read his final statement. The hood was put over Mr. Sigmon’s head, and an employee opened the black pull shade that shielded where the three prison-system volunteer shooters were. About two minutes later, they fired. There was no warning or countdown. The abrupt crack of the rifles startled me. And the white target with the red bull’s-eye that had been on his chest, standing out against his black prison jumpsuit, disappeared instantly as Mr. Sigmon’s whole body flinched. A jagged red spot about the size of a small fist appeared where Mr. Sigmon was shot. His chest moved two or three times. Outside of the rifle crack, there was no sound. A doctor came out in less than a minute, and his examination took about a minute more. Mr. Sigmon was declared dead at 6:08 p.m.'

Reader's Guide

Execution by firing squad is a specific practice that is distinct from other forms of execution by firearms, such as an execution by shot(s) to the back of the head or neck. However, the single shot to the brain by the squad's officer with a pistol at point blank (coup de grâce) is sometimes incorporated in a firing squad execution, particularly if the initial volley turns out not to be immediately fatal. Before the introduction of firearms, bows or crossbows were often used—Saint Sebastian is usually depicted as executed by a squad of Roman auxiliary archers in around AD 288; King Edmund the Martyr of East Anglia, by some accounts, was tied to a tree and executed by Viking archers on 20 November 869 or 870. Sometimes, one or more of the members of the firing squad may be issued a rifle containing a blank cartridge. In such cases, the shooters are not told beforehand whether they are using live or blank ammunition. This is believed to reinforce the sense of diffusion of responsibility among the firing squad members. It provides each member with a measure of plausible deniability that they, personally, did not fire a bullet at all. In practice however, firing a live round produces significant recoil, while firing a blank round does not. In more modern times such as during the 2010 execution of Ronnie Lee Gardner in Utah, US, one rifleman may be given a 'dummy' cartridge containing a wax bullet, which provides a more realistic recoil.

Did You Know?

• The term 'fusillading' comes from the French word 'fusil', meaning rifle.
• During the 2010 execution of Ronnie Lee Gardner in Utah, US, one rifleman was given a 'dummy' cartridge containing a wax bullet to provide realistic recoil.
• Saint Sebastian is usually depicted as executed by a squad of Roman auxiliary archers in around AD 288.
• King Edmund the Martyr of East Anglia was, by some accounts, tied to a tree and executed by Viking archers on 20 November 869 or 870.
• The phrase 'shot at dawn' comes from the tradition in some jurisdictions that firing squad executions are carried out at first light or at sunrise.