Mikal Mahdi, 42, was executed by firing squad in South Carolina for the 2004 murder of an off-duty police officer and a convenience store employee. Mahdi, the second person to be executed by firing squad in the state this year, was pronounced dead four minutes after the execution began. Defense lawyer David Weiss criticized the use of a firing squad, calling it a “horrifying act” that does not belong in a civilized society. Mahdi, who had a troubled childhood and spent a significant portion of his life in prison, was described by his lawyers as a “deeply remorseful” individual.
South Carolina is one of the few states that allow inmates to choose the method of execution, including lethal injection, the electric chair, and the firing squad. Mahdi chose the firing squad. The state has executed a total of 12 people this year, while the death penalty has been abolished in 23 states. President Donald Trump has expressed support for capital punishment. Ethics experts have criticized alternative methods of execution, such as nitrogen gas, as inhumane.
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