Idaho could become the first state to use death by firing squad as its primary method of execution. Republican state Rep. Bruce Skaug introduced a bill Tuesday, Jan. 21, to change the state’s current law. Currently, firing squad execution is a backup option to lethal injection if the chemicals are unavailable.
Now, Skaug wants prisoners on Idaho’s nine-member death row to be shot, making lethal injection the secondary option. He said the firing squad method would have less economic impact on the state.
What are the issues with lethal injection?
Several states, including Idaho, have also had trouble getting drugs for lethal injections. The companies that make the drugs started barring them, saying they were meant to save lives, not take them.
Another issue with lethal injection is botched executions.
In February 2024, the Idaho Department of Corrections failed to execute prisoner Thomas Creech using lethal injection when prison officials couldn’t find a suitable vein for an IV. The execution was called off and Creech is still in prison.
Because of this incident, officials changed policy in October 2024, allowing the execution team to access a central vein, such as the chest or neck, rather than just a peripheral vein such as the arm or hand.
Who supports firing squad execution?
Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor is among those who claim firing squads are a more humane method of execution.
In 2017, she said, “In addition to being near instant, death by shooting may also be comparatively painless.”
What are the arguments against firing squad execution?
But in a 2019 federal case, prosecutors had statements from an anesthesiologist who said it’s not guaranteed to have a painless death by firing squad, adding that inmates could remain conscious for up to 10 seconds after being shot.
Critics also say killings by firing squad could be potentially traumatizing to victims’ relatives due to its violent nature.
Four other states in the U.S. with capital punishment have firing squads including Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Utah, but none have it as its lead option, which would make Idaho the first.
Utah was the last state to use a firing squad in an execution in 2010 when prisoners were allowed to choose their method of execution.
What happens next?
If the Idaho bill passes, the law won’t take effect until July 2026 because the Idaho Department of Corrections still needs to build a facility primarily used for firing squad executions.
If any executions happen before the bill is enacted, the state will use lethal injection.
