Idaho Implements Firing Squad as Primary Execution Method
Idaho has made history by becoming the first state to designate firing squads as the primary method for executing death row inmates.
This legislation took effect on Wednesday following approval from the state Legislature. While lethal injection remains an available option, the state is now officially endorsing firing squads as the main approach.
Though Idaho is the first to adopt this as the primary method, several other states, including Mississippi, Oklahoma, Utah, and South Carolina, have outlined firing squads as an alternative method of execution.
Advocates of the bill believe that firing squads offer a humane and immediate procedure, while opponents have voiced strong objections, with one lawmaker labeling it as “barbaric.” This division of opinion highlights the contentious nature of the death penalty debate.
The bill was introduced in light of a botched lethal injection attempt in 2024, which was halted because the execution team couldn’t establish an IV line.
According to guidelines from the Idaho Department of Corrections, the execution process involves a firing squad composed of three members. These personnel must remain anonymous, and they should not be addressed by name or asked questions that require spoken answers.
During the execution, one live round will be loaded into three separate magazines for each rifle. The approved weapons are .308 caliber rifles, using .308 or 7.62 110-grain ammunition. Death row inmates are also administered mild sedatives beforehand.
A target is placed over the heart of the inmate, and before the execution begins, the death warrant is read aloud, allowing the individual to make any final statements.
Idaho currently houses eight inmates on death row—seven men and one woman. However, only three executions have occurred since the death penalty was reinstated in the state in 1977.
On a broader scale, the U.S. Department of Justice has recently indicated plans to “streamline the death penalty seeking process” and to potentially expand protocols to include firing squads among other execution methods.
