Brad Sigmon, double murderer, becomes first US prisoner executed by firing squad in a decade and a half.

Double murderer becomes first US inmate executed by firing squad in 15 years A South Carolina man found guilty of brutally killing his ex-girlfriend's parents has made history as the first death row inmate in the US to be executed by firing squad in over a decade and a half. Brad Sigmon, aged 67, met his end just after 18:00 local time on Friday, as three volunteers from the state corrections department fired rifles at his chest with specially designed bullets. Convicted of bludgeoning David and Gladys Larke to death with a baseball bat in 2001, Sigmon also kidnapped his former partner at gunpoint. She narrowly escaped as he fired shots in her direction. Opting for death by firing squad over lethal injection or the electric chair, Sigmon made his final plea "to be one of love and a calling to my fellow Christians to help us end the death penalty." The execution was witnessed by members of the Larke family and Sigmon's spiritual adviser. Strapped to a chair with a basin underneath to catch blood, Sigmon's final moments were marked with a hood placed over his head. The firing squad, hidden behind a curtain, shot him without warning at 15ft away. The .308 Winchester Tap Urban bullets are designed to fragment on impact, causing maximum damage. Counselling services are available for prison staff affected by the trauma of witnessing the execution, according to Chrysti Shain of the South Carolina Department of Corrections. Protests against capital punishment were held outside the jail in Columbia, with signs declaring "all life is precious" and "thou shalt not kill" visible. South Carolina's law mandating the secrecy of the identities of execution team members remains in effect, as the controversial practice continues to divide public opinion. capitalpunishment, us, execution, firing squad, murder