Justice Department Bringing Back Firing Squads For Federal Executions

The Department of Justice announced on Friday (April 24) that it will now allow firing squads as a method for carrying out federal executions, as part of a broader effort to speed up death penalty cases nationwide. The move marks a significant policy reversal from the previous administration under President Joe Biden, who had largely halted federal executions and commuted nearly all federal death sentences in the final days of his term.

According to recent reporting, the shift comes in response to directives from President Donald Trump’s administration, which has prioritized expanding the use of capital punishment at both federal and state levels. The Justice Department has issued new guidelines urging federal prosecutors to aggressively seek the death penalty in eligible cases and to adopt alternative execution methods, including firing squads. These changes have already led to a surge in executions and legislative activity across the country.

The addition of firing squads comes as several states are also considering or implementing similar measures. Data compiled by the Death Penalty Information Center shows a rise in state bills to add firing squads and other alternative execution methods. In some states, prisoners would be allowed to choose their method of execution. These legislative changes are partly driven by difficulties in obtaining drugs for lethal injections and by ongoing legal debates about the constitutionality of different execution methods.