Stephen Bryant, a death row inmate in South Carolina, has selected firing squad as his method of execution, marking the third such case in the state this year. The 44-year-old is scheduled to be executed on November 14, joining two other criminals who have faced the same fate under South Carolina’s latest execution protocol.
Bryant’s choice of firing squad—a method rarely used in the U.S.—has sparked legal and ethical debates. The state allows inmates to choose between lethal injection, the electric chair, or firing squad. Bryant will be shot by three volunteers from 15 feet away, a process that has drawn scrutiny following a recent botched execution where an inmate suffered prolonged agony.
The controversy stems from reports of witnesses hearing groans during the previous execution, with officials stating that shooters only need to hit the heart, not destroy it. Bryant’s case also highlights his heinous crimes, including the 2004 murders of Willard “TJ” Tietjen and two other men. Prosecutors described Bryant as a serial killer who shot victims in rural areas, left cryptic messages in blood, and burned Tietjen’s eyes with cigarettes.
Bryant admitted to the crimes after stopping at Tietjen’s home, where he allegedly killed him before scrawling a message on the wall with the victim’s blood. He also targeted two other men during a terror campaign in Sumter County. His defense cited mental health struggles and past trauma, but no clemency was granted.
South Carolina has carried out 50 executions since the death penalty’s reinstatement 40 years ago, with 27 inmates remaining on death row. Nationwide, 41 executions have occurred this year, and at least 18 more are scheduled through 2025. Bryant’s case underscores the ongoing use of capital punishment in the U.S., despite its rarity and contentious history.