Expert Calls for Reinstating Firing Squad as US Execution Method

John Malcolm, a senior fellow at the Meese Institute, told Al Jazeera that the United States ought to return to using firing squads for death‑row inmates, a suggestion that has quickly entered the national debate on execution methods. Malcolm’s interview, featured in an Al Jazeera video released on September 9, 2026, framed the firing squad as a more reliable and cost‑effective alternative to the increasingly problematic lethal‑injection protocols currently in use.

According to Malcolm, lethal injection drugs have become scarce and subject to legal challenges, leading to delayed executions and costly appeals. He argued that a firing squad, administered by a small team of trained marksmen, would reduce the risk of botched procedures and provide a clear, swift end to a sentence. “If the goal is a humane, decisive method, the firing squad is arguably the most straightforward,” he said in the interview.

The United States has not carried out an execution by firing squad since 2010, and the method fell out of favor after the 1970s when lethal injection became the dominant practice. Today, only a handful of states—Utah, South Carolina and Oklahoma—retain the firing squad as a secondary option if lethal‑injection drugs are unavailable. Utah famously resumed the method in 2021 after a brief hiatus, citing similar concerns about drug shortages.

The broader conversation around capital punishment in the U.S. reflects a gradual decline in death‑sentence usage. Since the early 2000s, the number of executions has dropped sharply, and several states have abolished the death penalty altogether. Public opinion remains divided; a 2024 Pew Research poll found that 55 % of Americans still support capital punishment, but fewer endorse lethal injection compared with other methods.

Human‑rights groups warn that reinstating firing squads could trigger legal challenges under the Eighth Amendment, which prohibits cruel and unusual punishment. Critics also argue that the visual nature of a firing squad may desensitize the public to state‑sanctioned killing, undermining the moral progress made in recent decades.

Malcolm’s proposal adds a new layer to the ongoing policy discussion, prompting lawmakers, advocacy groups, and the public to reconsider how, if at all, the death penalty should be administered in the United States.