A South Carolina man convicted of bludgeoning his ex-girlfriend’s parents to death has become the first US death row inmate to be executed by firing squad in the last 15 years.
Brad Sigmon was shot to death just after 18:00 local time (23:00 GMT) on Friday by three volunteers firing rifles at his chest with specially designed bullets.
Sigmon, 67, was convicted of murdering David and Gladys Larke with a baseball bat in 2001 before kidnapping his ex-girlfriend at gunpoint. She managed to escape as he shot at her.
Sigmon had requested death by firing squad over the other two state-approved methods of execution: electric chair and lethal injection.
Chrysti Shain, of the South Carolina Department of Corrections, said that Sigmon was pronounced dead by a doctor at 18:08 local time.
Three members of the Larke family were present to witness his death, she said.
Before being killed, Sigmon said: “I want my closing statement to be one of love and apology.”
He quoted from the Bible to denounce the death penalty, and said: “We no longer live under the Old Testament law, but now live under the New Testament.”
Jeffrey Collins, a reporter for the Associated Press news agency, said at a news conference that Sigmon had a red bullseye target placed over his heart.
After reading his final statement, a hood was placed over his head.
When he was shot, his chest rose and fell several times, the reporter added.
A doctor performed an exam which took about 90 seconds, before declaring him dead.