Justice Department Reinstates Firing Squad as Execution Method

The Justice Department is pushing to bring back firing squads and other execution methods for federal inmates convicted of violent offenses. This move aligns with President Donald Trump’s commitment to emphasizing the needs of victims over those of offenders.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Supreme Court has denied a request to delay the execution of two inmates in Florida, who are now set to become the 11th and 12th individuals executed this year in the state. The court received separate appeals to halt these executions but declined both requests.

Former police officer James Duckett, 68, was scheduled for execution at noon on Tuesday, though that was temporarily postponed while the Supreme Court reviewed his stay request. He had been sentenced for the rape and murder of an 11-year-old girl in 1987 and was ultimately executed by lethal injection, confirmed dead at 1:19 p.m.

The Supreme Court also rejected a bail request from 80-year-old Dominique Occhicone, who was found guilty of murdering his ex-girlfriend’s parents back in 1986. Occhicone is slated for execution at 6 p.m.; should it happen, he would be the oldest inmate executed in Florida’s history.

If Occhicone’s execution goes ahead, it would mark the first instance since 1964 that Florida has executed two inmates on the same day. This would also be just the second double execution in the U.S. since the year 2000, the last taking place in Arkansas in 2007.

Looking at broader trends, Florida executed 19 inmates in 2025 according to data from the state’s Department of Corrections. So far this year, the state has executed 11 individuals, more than any other state; Texas follows, with only four executions during the same period.