Stephen Bryant, 44, who pleaded guilty to three murders committed during a 2004 crime spree, is scheduled to be executed by firing squad in Columbia, South Carolina, at 6:00 p.m. local time on Friday. Officials say he will be strapped to a metal chair, hooded and shot by a three‑person volunteer firing squad; all three rifles will be loaded with live rounds. The execution would be South Carolina’s third firing‑squad case in 2025 and comes amid a year of increased U.S. executions — 42 so far — including several carried out with nitrogen hypoxia, a method criticized by U.N. experts. Twenty‑three states have abolished the death penalty, while several others maintain moratoriums.
Stephen Bryant to Face Firing Squad in South Carolina — State's Third Such Execution This Year
Stephen Bryant, 44, who pleaded guilty to three murders committed during a 2004 crime spree, is scheduled to be executed by firing squad in Columbia, South Carolina, at 6:00 p.m. local time on Friday. Officials say he will be strapped to a metal chair, hooded and shot by a three‑person volunteer firing squad; all three rifles will be loaded with live rounds. The execution would be South Carolina’s third firing‑squad case in 2025 and comes amid a year of increased U.S. executions — 42 so far — including several carried out with nitrogen hypoxia, a method criticized by U.N. experts. Twenty‑three states have abolished the death penalty, while several others maintain moratoriums.
10:48 PM, 11/14/2025Society
South Carolina inmate scheduled for execution by firing squad
A South Carolina inmate who admitted to three murders during a 2004 crime spree is scheduled to be executed by firing squad on Friday, authorities say. The execution of 44-year-old Stephen Bryant would be the state’s third firing‑squad execution in 2025.
Bryant was convicted for three killings committed during a 2004 crime spree; investigators say he wrote the words "catch me if u can" in the blood of one victim. Officials plan to carry out the execution at 6:00 p.m. local time (2300 GMT) at the state prison in Columbia.
According to the South Carolina Department of Corrections (SCDC), Bryant will be restrained in a metal chair with a hood over his head and positioned about 15 feet (five meters) from a wall that contains a rectangular opening. A three‑person firing squad composed of SCDC volunteers will fire rifles through that opening. Officials say all three rifles will be loaded with live rounds and that an "aim point" will be placed over the condemned man’s heart.
Most U.S. executions since the Supreme Court reinstated capital punishment in 1976 have been carried out by lethal injection. As of this week, there have been 42 executions across the United States in 2025 — the highest annual total since 2012 — of which 35 were by lethal injection, two by firing squad and five by nitrogen hypoxia. Nitrogen hypoxia involves pumping nitrogen into a face mask to induce unconsciousness and suffocation; United Nations experts have denounced the method as cruel and inhumane.
The death penalty has been abolished in 23 U.S. states, and three others — California, Oregon and Pennsylvania — currently maintain moratoriums on executions. President Donald Trump has voiced strong support for capital punishment and has called for expanding its use for what he described as the "vilest crimes."
Note: This report summarizes official descriptions of the planned procedure and broader national trends in capital punishment. Times and procedures are subject to confirmation by prison authorities.