Firing Squad Botches Death — Inmate Dies in Agony

On April 11, 2025, South Carolina carried out its second firing squad execution in just over a month. But what was meant to be a swift, state-sanctioned death devolved into what legal experts and pathologists are now calling a botched procedure. Mikal Mahdi, a 42-year-old death row inmate, bled out strapped to a metal chair — groaning, gasping, and writhing for over a minute after being shot. The chilling outcome has raised fresh concerns about execution protocols in the United States.

The Method: Why a Firing Squad?

Mahdi chose the firing squad over lethal injection or the electric chair — a decision his lawyer said was driven by fear. He was afraid of being "burned and mutilated" or "suffering a lingering death," according to The Sun.

Ironically, that's exactly what advocates say happened during the execution.

South Carolina reintroduced the firing squad in 2021, making it one of only five states to allow the method. The rationale — a firing squad was believed to be fast, effective, and less prone to the complications that have plagued lethal injections. According to the state Supreme Court's 2024 ruling, the method was considered constitutional, as long as death came within 15 seconds.

The Target Missed

Mahdi entered the death chamber and was strapped to a metal chair. A white target with a red bullseye was placed over his heart. Behind bulletproof glass, nine witnesses watched as three prison employees fired rifles in unison.

But when the smoke cleared, only two bullet wounds were found. According to a state-commissioned autopsy, all three bullets struck his heart — but Mahdi's legal team disagrees. An independent pathologist, Dr. Jonathan Arden, found the wounds were lower on the chest and likely missed the heart entirely.

Instead, the bullets damaged Mahdi's liver and internal organs, causing him to bleed out slowly.

Eyewitnesses reported Mahdi cried out as the shots hit him, flexed his arms against the restraints, and groaned audibly about 45 seconds later. His breathing continued for 80 seconds. He was pronounced dead four minutes after the execution began.

Medical Mystery or Malfunction?

The South Carolina Department of Corrections (SCDOC) claimed two bullets may have passed through the same wound. But both Arden and another forensic pathologist, Dr. Carl Wigren, called that highly unlikely. "I think the odds of that are pretty minuscule," Wigren said in an interview with NPR.

Adding to the confusion, fewer autopsy photos were released for Mahdi compared to a previous firing squad case. Photos of Brad Sigmon, executed by firing squad one month earlier, clearly showed three separate bullet wounds. In Mahdi's case, only one photo was released, and no X-rays or bullet fragments were provided to his legal team.

Who Was Mikal Mahdi?

Mahdi was sentenced to death for the brutal 2004 murder of off-duty public safety officer Captain James Myers. He shot Myers nine times and set his body on fire inside a shed. Mahdi was also convicted of murdering two other individuals and of multiple violent felonies, including carjacking and firearm robbery.

Despite multiple appeals and a plea for clemency supported by former teachers and advocates, South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster and the US Supreme Court declined to intervene. In a letter before his death, Mahdi reportedly wrote, "I'm guilty as hell... What I've done is irredeemable," according to The Sun.

A Botched Death With Broader Implications

The state Supreme Court had acknowledged the possibility of a misfire in its earlier ruling, stating that prolonged suffering would only occur "unless there is a massive botch," according to The Sun. According to Mahdi's legal team, that's exactly what happened.

Mahdi's attorneys filed a formal notice with the South Carolina Supreme Court, describing the execution as a violation of the state's constitutional ban on cruel or unusual punishment. They say they were "obliged" to report the outcome to prevent similar suffering for future inmates, according to NBC News.

For now, there are no upcoming executions scheduled in South Carolina. But with 25 inmates currently on death row, the state's approach to capital punishment, particularly by firing squad, remains under scrutiny.

A Gruesome End Raises Questions

Whether you view capital punishment as justice served or a barbaric relic, Mahdi's death forces a hard question: If firing squads are meant to be quick and clinical, what happens when the aim is off? Mahdi didn't survive the bullets, but for 80 long seconds, he endured them.

References: LEFT TO DIE: Firing squad 'botched' death row execution as inmate suffers 'excruciating' death bleeding out strapped to chair | S.C. inmate's firing squad execution was 'botched,' with bullets mostly missing his heart, lawyers say | A firing squad tried to shoot a prisoner in the heart. They missed, autopsy indicates