A man named Stephen Bryant was executed by firing squad in South Carolina on November 15, 2025, for the murder of three people during a violent crime spree in 2004. Bryant was convicted of killing a man at his home, writing “catch me if u can” in the victim’s blood and shooting two other men he was giving rides to while they stopped to relieve themselves on the road. This execution is South Carolina’s third by firing squad in 2025, marking a resurgence of this method due to shortages of lethal injection drugs.
The execution took place at Broad River Correctional Institution in Columbia, with three prison employees volunteering as the firing squad members. Bryant was declared dead shortly after the shooting, which was carried out without visible or audible warning. This method has been reinstated in some states as an alternative when lethal injection drugs are unavailable.
The case has raised discussions on the death penalty methods and prisoners’ rights, especially following a previous firing squad execution in the state that was described as “botched” due to two bullets only grazing the heart, causing prolonged suffering.
Bryant had no pending appeals and declined to make a final statement before the execution. This execution is part of an increasing number of death penalties carried out in the US after a pandemic-related slowdown.
