The Justice Department will adopt firing squads as a permitted method of execution as the Trump administration moves to ramp up and expedite capital punishment cases, officials said Friday. The department is also reauthorizing the use of single-drug lethal injections with pentobarbital, which were utilized for 13 federal executions during Trump's first term—more than under any president in the modern era. This reversal comes after the Biden administration suspended capital punishments due to concerns about potential pain and suffering from lethal injections. Only three individuals remain on federal death row as a result of Biden's earlier decision to convert 37 death sentences to life imprisonment. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche stated that under Trump's leadership, the Justice Department is fulfilling its duty to protect the American public by pursuing harsh penalties for those convicted of grave crimes. Currently, five states allow executions by firing squad: Idaho, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Utah. Critics argue that the method raises significant ethical concerns amid ongoing debates about the effectiveness and morality of capital punishment in the United States.
Justice Department Revives Firing Squads as Execution Method in U.S.
In a controversial move, the Justice Department announces the reauthorization of firing squads alongside lethal injections, aiming to expedite federal executions under the Trump administration's directive.
The Justice Department has reinstated firing squads as an acceptable method of execution as it aims to increase the pace of federal executions after a temporary halt under the Biden administration. The reauthorization allows for the use of both firing squads and single-drug lethal injections. The move has drawn criticism for reigniting debates over the ethics and methods of capital punishment in the U.S.
