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Idaho Allows Volunteers To Shoot Dead Eight Death Row Inmates Under New Execution Rules
A hugely controversial rule will now allow volunteers to shoot and kill inmates on death row in Idaho.
It comes as the state becomes the first in the US to adopt a firing squad as its main form of execution, in a move that has been hugely criticized by people all over the country.
Many have raised concerns over the excruciating pain and suffering that can be caused by killing in such a way, particularly if mistakes are made.
A botched execution inspired the decision
One of the main reasons lawmakers aimed to move away from the lethal injection as its primary method, comes after the failed execution of Thomas Eugene Creech in February 2024.
Prison staff spent around 60 minutes trying to establish an IV line to administer the lethal drugs but were unable to find a suitable vein.
Eventually, after multiple failed attempts, the execution had to be called off for the first time in modern US history.
While this experience caused lawmakers to question whether they could rely on the lethal injection for executions, there have been other obstacles to tackle too.
Idaho, like many other states, have struggled to get hold of the drugs needed for the lethal injections.
The issue being that many pharmaceutical companies refuse to allow their products to be used in executions – something which has caused a major delay in executions up and down the country.
Firing squad ‘more reliable’ says lawmakers
Idaho had already authorized firing squads as a backup method for carrying out executions if lethal injection wasn’t available, back in 2023.
In 2025, however, Governor Brad Little signed House Bill 37 which reversed the order and as of July 1, 2026, firing squad has officially become the default method.
Little, along with other lawmakers such as Republican Senator Doug Ricks, have argued that a firing squad is less likely to fail, results in a quicker death and much more certain than lethal injection.
Supporters say there is less chance of prolonged suffering with a firing squad than a failed lethal injection, but that hasn’t stopped opponents from voicing major concerns.
Human rights organizations have argued that firing squads are inherently violent and represent a massive step backwards in the administration of capital punishment.
Volunteers can carry out the killings
Perhaps most controversial of all is the fact that Idaho will use a volunteer system to find their firing squad, which will be made of three anonymous certified law enforcement officers.
The volunteers will be instructed to shoot the restrained inmate from around 10 yards away, using a .308 caliber rifle.
However, the volunteers must meet strict rules to be chosen as part of the firing squad and their identities will only be revealed to the state prison director and deputy.
To be selected, the volunteers must hold a Peace Officers Standards and Training (POST) certification for a minimum of three years.
They must be able to demonstrate a proficiency in firearms and must have had no disciplinary action in the past 12 months relating to firearms or use of force.
The volunteers must pass a test proving they can fire each provided firearm with 100 percent accuracy from at least 21 feet and hit a target of the same size, shape and height as will be used in an actual executi9on.
They will automatically fail the test if they cannot hit the target with one round from each of the firearms.
The volunteers must also not have any blood or legal relationship to the victim, the victims family, the prisoner or the prisoner’s family.
Concerns raised over intentional sabotage
Despite all the assurances, the Guardian reports that expert forensic analysts have raised allegations in US supreme court filings that previously botched firing squad executions had been intentionally inflicted as a form of retribution punishment.
There have been four firing squad executions in the last 16 years, with two of them generating major concerns.
In 2010, Ronnie Lee Gardner was put to death in Utah at the age of 49, with a team of five anonymous officers.
After spending nearly 25 years on death row for murdering an attorney during an attempted courthouse escape, officials opted for the firing squad.
Witnesses said Gardner clenched his fists in agony and officials wondered ‘whether Gardner would require a second volley of bullets’.
The onlooker said it was ‘excruciating wait for Gardner to die’.
Related Article: Death Row Inmate Suffered ‘Excruciating’ Execution After Making Last Meal ‘Mistake’
Related Article: Attorney For Death Row Woman Set To Be First Executed For 200 Years By US State Makes Special Request
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