Idaho adopts firing squad as primary execution method

Idaho has become the first U.S. state to adopt the firing squad as its primary method of execution, a policy that took effect on July 1. The change, enacted by legislation signed by Governor Brad Little in March 2025, shifts the state away from lethal injection after years of logistical and legal challenges. Officials say the move ensures a more reliable means of carrying out court-ordered death sentences.

The decision follows a failed execution attempt in February 2024, when medical personnel were unable to establish an intravenous line to administer lethal injection drugs to death row inmate Thomas Eugene Creech after multiple attempts. State lawmakers argued that the firing squad offers a dependable alternative, particularly as many states face shortages of execution drugs and ongoing litigation. Lethal injection remains available as a secondary option if a firing squad cannot be assembled.

The Idaho Department of Corrections has completed a new execution chamber at the Idaho Maximum Security Institution south of Boise, a project that cost more than $1 million. The department is now recruiting volunteers to serve on firing squads, but only from among certified law enforcement...