April 24, 2026, 9:01 p.mApril 24, 2026, 9:01 p.m
In the USA, convicted criminals should in future be allowed to be executed by shooting at the federal level according to the wishes of the Ministry of Justice. In a corresponding government report, Justice Minister Todd Blanche argues that other execution options should also be considered – including the death penalty by firing squad. This enables the department to carry out executions even “if a certain means is not available.” This probably refers to the substance that is used in lethal injections.
According to the report, execution by firing squad is already permitted in five states. In addition to Idaho, Mississippi and Oklahoma, death row offenders can also be shot in South Carolina and Utah.
The death penalty is permitted in more than two dozen of the 50 states in the United States, but in several states it is de facto no longer carried out. In addition to lethal injection, executions in the United States are carried out by, among other things, the electric chair or firing squad.
US President Trump reinstated the death penalty at the federal level in his first term in office, but his successor Joe Biden put a stop to this and imposed a moratorium. Now Blanche wants to reinstate the death penalty at the federal level. (sda/dpa)
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