A Life Ends with a Shot: South Carolina's Firing Squad Execution

In a quiet corner of South Carolina, a man named Stephen Bryant took his last breaths on Friday. He was 44 years old. Three prison workers, each with a loaded gun, carried out the execution. Bryant had killed three people in just five days back in 2004. He chose to die by firing squad instead of other methods like lethal injection or the electric chair. He didn't say anything at the end. He just looked at the 10 witnesses for a moment before a hood was put over his head. About 55 seconds later, shots rang out. Bryant didn't make a sound. The red target on his chest, marking his heart, flew off. He took a few shallow breaths and then had a final spasm. A doctor checked him for a minute before declaring him dead. A media witness noticed a wet spot on Bryant's chest where he was shot. Three family members of the victims held hands during the execution. Bryant is the seventh person executed in South Carolina in the past 14 months. The state had a 13-year pause in executions because it couldn't get the drugs needed for lethal injections. Republican Governor Henry McMaster denied Bryant's request for clemency. No South Carolina governor has granted clemency since the death penalty resumed in the U. S. in 1976. For his final meal, Bryant had spicy mixed seafood stir-fry, fried fish over rice, egg rolls, stuffed shrimp, two candy bars, and German chocolate cake. Bo King, a lawyer who works on death penalty cases, said Bryant had a tough life. He suffered from a genetic disorder and was abused by relatives. His mother's drinking also affected him. King said Bryant showed courage and love, both inside and outside of prison. The firing squad method has a long and violent history. It has been used in armies, frontier justice, and political repression. Recently, it has been revived in the U. S. Some say it's the quickest and most humane way to execute someone. This comes after several botched executions by other methods. South Carolina and other states have struggled to get enough drugs for lethal injections. Since executions resumed in September 2024, four men have been executed by lethal injection and three by firing squad. The electric chair is still legal in South Carolina. Bryant admitted to killing Willard "TJ" Tietjen in 2004. He stopped by Tietjen's secluded home, saying he had car trouble. Tietjen was shot several times. Bryant then answered Tietjen's phone, telling his wife and daughter that he had killed them. Bryant also killed two other men, shooting them in the back while they urinated on the side of the road. During the search for Bryant, officers stopped nearly everyone driving on dirt roads in the area. They told people to be careful of strangers asking for help. Bryant is the 43rd man executed by court order in the U. S. this year. At least 14 others are scheduled to be put to death during the rest of 2025 and next year. He is also the 50th person executed in South Carolina since the state restarted the death penalty 40 years ago. During a firing squad execution, the curtain opens in the death chamber with fewer than a dozen witnesses sitting behind bulletproof glass. The person is strapped into a chair. A white square with a red bull's-eye target is placed over his heart by a doctor. Their lawyer can read a final statement. A prison employee then places a hood over the person's head, walks across the small room, and pulls open a black shade where the firing squad waits. Without any warning, the shooters fire high-powered rifles from 15 feet away. A doctor then examines the person and declares them dead.