Idaho has become the first U.S. state to designate execution by firing squad as its primary method of carrying out capital punishment, a shift reflecting broader challenges in implementing lethal injections nationwide. The Idaho Department of Corrections (IDOC) announced it met a legislative deadline to retrofit a death chamber at its maximum-security prison south of Boise for firing squad use by July 1. The project involved an expenditure exceeding $1 million, including approximately $24,000 for a set of .308-caliber scoped rifles intended for use by volunteer marksmen.

The decision follows Idaho’s abandonment of lethal injection after a failed execution attempt in February 2024, when medical personnel were unable to establish an intravenous line for inmate Thomas Creech. Similar difficulties have been reported in other states due to an international boycott of drugs and medical supplies used in lethal injection protocols. Some jurisdictions, such as Alabama, explored alternatives like nitrogen gas asphyxiation; however, such methods have faced legal challenges and been ruled unconstitutional.

Idaho joins six other states—Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Utah, Florida, and Tennessee—that authorize the firing squad as a potential execution method. Five of these states have established it as a formal option, while others allow its use if other methods are unavailable or deemed unconstitutional. Proponents argue that the firing squad offers a more reliable and immediate means of execution, with shooters aiming at the condemned prisoner’s left ventricle to ensure rapid death. The identities of the three volunteer marksmen in Idaho remain confidential, known only to top state prison officials, and they will carry out executions for the state’s eight death row inmates, including one woman.

Despite claims of the firing squad’s efficiency, historical and recent cases demonstrate that it can fail to produce instantaneous death. The method’s infrequent use—dating back to the first recorded judicial execution in 1608—reflects concerns about botched outcomes. Notably, in 1879, Wallace Wilkerson reportedly suffered for 27 minutes after the shot missed his heart, and in 2010, Ronnie Lee Gardner’s execution in Utah was described as prolonged and agonizing, lasting long enough to prompt consideration of a second volley.

IDOC emphasized that its execution procedures are designed to be secure, orderly, and dignified. The condemned prisoner is restrained in a chair with a black hood over their head, and a target is pinned over the heart to guide the shots. Advocates maintain this method can avoid the complications currently faced by states reliant on lethal injection, though critics caution that firing squads can still result in severe suffering. As challenges mount around existing execution protocols, Idaho’s move signals a broader reexamination of capital punishment methods in the United States.