Execution by Firing Squad in South Carolina: Mikal Mahdi's Life Ends

In a significant event in South Carolina, a man sentenced for murder has been executed by a firing squad. Mikal Mahdi, aged 42, was put to death on Friday for his involvement in the killings of a police officer and a supermarket employee in 2004. Reports indicate that Mahdi had sought clemency from the state's Republican governor, but his request was denied.

Mahdi's attorney criticized the execution, labeling it as a horrific act that belongs in the darkest pages of history rather than in a civilized society. For the execution, Mahdi was given the option to choose between lethal injection, the firing squad, and the electric chair. South Carolina had not executed anyone via lethal injection for twelve years due to pharmaceutical companies' refusal to provide the necessary drugs, fearing damage to their public image.

This marks the twelfth execution in the United States this year, a decrease from 25 executions in the previous year. The last time a firing squad was utilized for an execution in the U.S. was on March 7, also in South Carolina, with the previous instance occurring in Utah in 2010.

Since the reinstatement of the death penalty by the Supreme Court in 1976, lethal injection has been the predominant method of execution in the United States. Currently, 23 out of 50 states have abolished the death penalty, while three states--California, Oregon, and Pennsylvania--maintain a moratorium on executions. Additionally, several states that had previously halted executions, including Arizona, Ohio, and Tennessee, have recently announced plans to resume them.

The ongoing debate about the death penalty remains contentious, with various perspectives on its morality and effectiveness. Former President Donald Trump has been a proponent of capital punishment, advocating for its continuation.