Idaho Opens $1 Million Firing-Squad Death Chamber for 8 Inmates as Lethal Injection Falters
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Jul 1
Idaho Opens $1 Million Firing-Squad Death Chamber for 8 Inmates as Lethal Injection Falters
3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Jul 1
Summary
Idaho said its retrofitted execution chamber was ready by July 1, making it the first US state to use a firing squad as its primary execution method for eight death-row inmates.
More than $1 million went into the overhaul, including $24,000 for AR-style .308 rifles for three volunteer shooters whose identities are restricted to top prison officials.
The shift followed Idaho’s aborted 2024 attempt to execute Thomas Creech by lethal injection, part of a broader breakdown in drug-based executions as supplies tightened and other methods faced court challenges.
Supporters call gunfire fast and reliable, but the report cites concerns that 2 of the 4 US firing-squad executions since 2010 may have been botched, with autopsies suggesting missed heart shots and prolonged pain.
Idaho becomes the seventh state to authorize firing squads in some form, underscoring a wider US search for workable execution methods as 11 states carried out executions last year.
On July 1, 2026, Idaho made a historic shift by designating the firing squad as its primary method of execution, marking a pivotal change in the state's capital punishment protocols. This decision followed a failed lethal injection attempt, which led to a legislative process that first established the firing squad as a backup option in 2023. The Idaho Legislature then allocated significant funds for renovations to support this method, and state officials confirmed their readiness to implement the new procedure. This move reflects Idaho's response to practical challenges with lethal injection and signals a major transformation in its approach to executions.