An American triple murderer, Stephen Bryant, was shot dead by a firing squad after choosing this method of execution over lethal injection or the electric chair. Bryant, 44, had been on death row for 20 years following a five-day killing spree in 2004 where he murdered three people in a rural area of South Carolina.
During the execution, three prison employees volunteered to be part of the firing squad and used live ammunition. Bryant did not make a final statement and was shot 55 seconds after the hood was placed over his head. Witnesses reported that Bryant made no noise when shot, with the bullseye target marking his heart flying off his chest. He took a few shallow breaths and had a final spasm before being pronounced dead by a doctor.
Bryant’s final meal request included a spicy mixed seafood stir-fry, fried fish over rice, egg rolls, stuffed shrimp, two candy bars, and German chocolate cake. Bo King, a South Carolina lawyer specializing in death penalty cases, mentioned that Bryant had a genetic disorder and had suffered from abuse in his past.
Bryant admitted to the murder of Willard “TJ” Tietjen in October 2004, along with two other men. He lured his victims by pretending to have car trouble and then shot them dead. Bryant is the 43rd person to be executed in the United States this year, with 14 more scheduled before the year ends.