South Carolina Executes Stephen Bryant by Firing Squad

Stephen Bryant, a 44-year-old inmate on death row in South Carolina, was executed by firing squad on Friday evening at Broad River Correctional Institution in Columbia, marking the third such execution in the state this year. The procedure took place shortly after 6 p.m., with Bryant pronounced dead at 6:05 p.m. following a barrage of shots from three prison employees who had volunteered for the task.

Bryant, convicted in 2008 for the murders of three men during an eight-day crime spree in rural Sumter County in October 2004, had chosen the firing squad method over lethal injection or electrocution. The state had faced challenges obtaining drugs for lethal injection, leading to a 13-year pause in executions until September 2024. Since then, South Carolina has carried out seven executions, four by lethal injection and three by firing squad. All three volunteers used live ammunition in this case.

In the death chamber, Bryant was strapped to a chair behind bulletproof glass, with 10 witnesses observing, including three family members of his victims who held hands throughout the process. A doctor placed a white cloth target with a red bullseye over his heart. Bryant offered no final...