Execution by firing squad
Execution by firing squad is a method of capital punishment carried out by a group of shooters using firearms.
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In the general procedure described by the source, shooters typically aim at the heart, sometimes using a paper or cloth target. The condemned person is typically restrained and blindfolded or hooded, and may be standing or sitting.
VerifiedSome firing squads issue one or more shooters a blank cartridge without telling them beforehand whether their ammunition is live. This practice is believed to diffuse responsibility by allowing each shooter to doubt whether they fired a bullet, although the source notes that differences in recoil can undermine that uncertainty.
VerifiedThe method is described as particularly common in military settings and times of war. The availability of firearms and the possibility of a rapidly fatal shot to a vital organ are cited as reasons for its use.
VerifiedSome firing-squad executions incorporate a supplementary close-range pistol shot by the squad's officer, known as a coup de grâce, particularly when the initial volley is not immediately fatal.
VerifiedExecution by firing squad is a specific practice within the broader category of execution by firearms. It is distinguished from other practices such as shooting a person in the back of the head or neck.
VerifiedA firing squad normally consists of several shooters instructed to fire simultaneously. This arrangement is intended to prevent one member from disrupting the process and to obscure who fired the lethal shot.
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