South Carolina has carried out its first execution in a decade, choosing to use a firing squad to execute inmate Richard Bernard Moore. Moore was convicted of killing a convenience store clerk during a robbery in 1999. The decision to use a firing squad comes as the state faces a shortage of lethal injection drugs.
Moore had been on death row for over two decades before he was executed. His lawyers had argued for clemency, citing his difficult childhood and saying that he had turned his life around while in prison. However, their appeals were ultimately denied.
The choice of a firing squad as the method of execution has sparked controversy, with critics arguing that it is a brutal and outdated practice. South Carolina is one of only four states that still allow the use of a firing squad, along with Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Utah.
The execution drew protests outside of the prison, with demonstrators calling for an end to the death penalty. However, supporters of the death penalty argue that it provides justice for victims and their families.
Overall, the execution of Richard Bernard Moore by firing squad marks a significant moment in the ongoing debate over capital punishment in the United States.
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