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US brings back firing squads and alternative methods amid scrutiny over botched executions
Overview
The United States is reintroducing execution methods such as firing squads, the electric chair and nitrogen gas, driven by concerns over botched lethal injections and renewed federal support for capital punishment under the Trump administration. US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth recently announced plans to livestream the military execution by firing squad of Nidal Hasan, who killed 13 people at Fort Hood in 2009. While proponents defend capital punishment for severe crimes, medical experts warn that every execution method can cause severe pain and human error.
Key points
- US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth announced that the military will livestream the execution by firing squad of former military psychiatrist Nidal Hasan, marking the US Army's first use of the method since 1945.
- The shift towards alternative methods follows rising concerns over botched lethal injections, such as the failed attempt involving Christa Pike.
- Lethal injections, introduced in Texas in 1982, have experienced 51 botched attempts out of 1,683 executions, often due to inadequate staff training, degraded drugs, or sourcing difficulties.
- States are also reauthorising or introducing alternative methods, including nitrogen gas used in Alabama and Louisiana, the electric chair in nine states, and firing squads authorised in several jurisdictions like Idaho.
- President Trump brought back the federal death penalty upon returning to office in 2025, with his administration supporting capital punishment as an essential deterrent for heinous crimes.