US Authorizes Firing Squad as New Federal Execution Method

The US federal government has authorized three additional methods for carrying out executions: firing squad, electric chair, and gas chamber. This move comes as the federal government faces difficulties in obtaining the drugs used in lethal injections, the most common method, and seeks to diversify execution options. The Department of Justice stated that these new methods do not constitute cruel and unusual punishment prohibited by the US Constitution.

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche stated that the previous administration had refused to carry out the ultimate penalty for dangerous criminals. During his first term, President Donald Trump revived the federal death penalty after a 17-year hiatus, executing 13 individuals shortly before leaving office. The Biden administration issued a moratorium on federal executions in 2021 and announced commutations for 37 out of 40 federal inmates sentenced to death just before the end of its term. Since President Trump's potential return to power, the Justice Department has lifted the moratorium and pursued death sentences in several cases, including the murder of Charlie Kirk.

Support for the death penalty in the United States has been on a downward trend for decades. The Death Penalty Information Center, an anti-death penalty organization, reported that the death penalty has been abolished in 11 US states over the past 20 years. A recent Gallup poll indicated that support for capital punishment has reached its lowest point in 50 years.