‘Catch me if you can’ killer executed by firing squad in South Carolina

Stephen Bryant, 44, was executed by firing squad astatine a situation successful Columbia connected Friday, the South Carolina Department of Corrections said. He pleaded blameworthy to 3 murders committed during a 2004 transgression spree successful which helium killed 3 radical and scrawled the connection "catch maine if u can" successful the humor of 1 victim.Bryant was changeable by a three-person firing squad of volunteers and was pronounced dormant astatine 6:05 p.m. (2305 GMT). South Carolina executed 3 convicted murderers by firing squad this year, the archetypal specified executions successful the United States successful 15 years, AP reported.Since the US Supreme Court reinstated the decease punishment successful 1976, the immense bulk of executions successful the state were conducted by lethal injection. A antheral convicted of raping and murdering a six-year-old miss was executed by lethal injection successful Florida connected Thursday.

It was that state’s 16th execution successful 2025, the astir successful the nation. There were 5 each successful Alabama and Texas.The South Carolina Department of Corrections said Bryant was restrained successful a metallic seat with a hood implicit his caput 15 feet distant from a partition with a rectangular opening. All 3 rifles had unrecorded ammunition and an "aim point" was placed implicit the condemned man’s heart.There were 43 executions successful the United States this year, the astir since 2012, erstwhile the aforesaid fig of inmates were enactment to death.

Thirty-five of this year’s executions were carried retired by lethal injection, 3 by firing squad and 5 by nitrogen hypoxia, which progressive pumping nitrogen state into a look mask, causing the captive to suffocate. The usage of nitrogen state arsenic a method of superior punishment was denounced by United Nations experts arsenic cruel and inhumane.The decease punishment has been abolished successful 23 of the 50 US states, portion 3 others—California, Oregon and Pennsylvania—have moratoriums successful place. President Donald Trump is simply a proponent of superior punishment and, connected his archetypal time successful office, called for an enlargement of its usage "for the vilest crimes."