Botched SC Firing Squad Execution Prompts Scrutiny

Mikal Mahdi, a South Carolina death row inmate, was executed by firing squad in April 2025, but the procedure was botched when only two bullets struck him, missing his heart and causing prolonged suffering for up to a minute. Autopsy findings confirmed the wounds affected his liver and other organs, failing to produce the rapid death intended by the state's execution protocol, which requires three shots to the heart. Witnesses and experts reported that Mahdi remained conscious, groaning and moaning after being shot. The incident has raised constitutional concerns, with attorneys and pathologists alleging cruel and unusual punishment in violation of both state and federal constitutions. The South Carolina Supreme Court had previously ruled the method was not cruel, assuming death would occur within 15 seconds, but Mahdi's case has contradicted that claim. The execution has prompted renewed calls for scrutiny and possible reform of execution methods and protocols in South Carolina.