Mississippi is one of the few states in the U.S. that allows the execution of prisoners by firing squad, alongside Utah, Oklahoma, Idaho, and South Carolina. Yet, despite this legal provision, the state has never carried out an execution by firing squad, with its history predominantly characterized by other methods. As of March 2025, Mississippi's Department of Corrections (MDOC) has only executed prisoners through hangings, the electric chair, gas chamber, and lethal injection.
Currently, 35 inmates sit on death row in Mississippi, according to the MDOC. While many states have moved away from capital punishment or seek to abolish it entirely, Mississippi maintains a robust framework for the death penalty.
The most recent execution by firing squad in the U.S. occurred in early March 2025, when South Carolina executed 67-year-old Brad Sigmon for the 2001 murders of a couple he was convicted of killing with a baseball bat. As noted by the Greenville News, Sigmon's execution reignited ethical debates surrounding capital punishment and the methods used to carry out death sentences.
On March 7, 2025, Sigmon was executed by three volunteer sharpshooters from the South Carolina Department of Corrections. He was strapped to a chair and hooded, with prison officials noting the execution was seen as a last resort after lethal injection became increasingly difficult to execute due to court challenges. Following the order from the warden, the sharpshooters discharged their rifles through a wall, killing Sigmon within minutes. This marked an important historical moment, as Sigmon became the first death row inmate in South Carolina to be executed by firing squad.
Mississippi has considered using firing squad as a method of execution as well. In 2017, a bill that included the firing squad as one of the four execution options was signed into law by former Governor Phil Bryant. This bill established a hierarchy of execution methods: lethal injection was deemed the preferred method, followed by nitrogen hypoxia, the electric chair, and finally firing squad.
However, this structure was altered in 2022 when the Mississippi Legislature passed a new bill that granted the MDOC discretion in choosing methods of execution. This law no longer prioritized the order in which methods were to be applied, indicating a willingness to use any of the four methods—lethal injection, nitrogen hypoxia, electrocution, and firing squad—based solely on availability.
Mississippi's last execution via lethal injection took place in December 2022 when Thomas "Eddie" Loden was put to death for the 2000 crimes involving the kidnapping, rape, and murder of a 16-year-old girl. Loden’s lethal injection used a combination of midazolam, vecuronium bromide, and potassium chloride to carry out the execution. This mixture is common among the 27 states that presently allow lethal injections.
Tracing the history of the death penalty in Mississippi reveals a progression of methods. Historically, hanging was the most common execution method until the arrival of the electric chair in 1940. Between 1940 and 1952, the electric chair claimed the lives of 75 inmates, marking a significant era in Mississippi’s execution history. The gas chamber was introduced in 1954 and remained in use until 1989, claiming a total of 35 lives during its operation.
Notably, Gerald A. Gallego was the first person to be executed in the gas chamber in 1955, while Leo Edwards was the last in 1989. In the early years of Mississippi's execution framework, trades involving death had fewer regulations and a public sentiment largely supportive of capital punishment. Today, however, public opinion has shifted, resulting in increased scrutiny and debate regarding the ethics of the death penalty.
The introduction of alternatives like nitrogen hypoxia and the potential method of firing squad indicates a tumultuous period in the American approach to capital punishment. The difficulty in obtaining the drugs necessary for lethal injections has forced states like Mississippi to explore these other methods. Lawmakers are tasked with navigating public sentiment, legal challenges, and ethical considerations that come with each type of execution.
Advocates for ending capital punishment argue it is inherently flawed, while those in favor emphasize the need for justice for heinous crimes. As Mississippi continues to grapple with these broader questions on how to execute its convicted prisoners, answers remain elusive.
This need for answers reflects the ongoing conflict surrounding the practice of execution in the U.S. Even with methods like firing squad on the table, Mississippi has yet to carry out such an execution, raising questions about whether it will ever become a reality within the state's complex history with capital punishment.
