Idaho has now made the firing squad its primary method of execution, making Idaho the first state to designate the firing squad as its primary execution method.

Story Snapshot

• Idaho law now makes the firing squad the main execution method starting July 1, 2026.
• Highly trained Idaho law enforcement officers will volunteer as shooters under strict proficiency rules.
• Supporters say the firing squad is faster, cheaper, and more certain than lethal injection.
• Critics warn about secrecy, past botched firing squad deaths, and limits on court review.

Idaho Makes Firing Squad Its Main Execution Method

Idaho Governor Brad Little signed House Bill 37 into law on March 12, 2025, making the firing squad the state’s primary execution method instead of lethal injection. The law takes effect July 1, 2026, and applies to all executions after that date, no matter when the sentence was handed down. The bill passed with wide support from the Republican‑led Legislature, 58–11 in the House and 28–7 in the Senate, signaling strong backing for tougher, more certain punishment. Idaho is now the only state that lists the firing squad as its main method of execution, while four other states only allow it as an option in limited situations.

The Trump administration in Washington has moved in the same direction, with the United States Department of Justice adding firing squad to the list of approved federal execution methods as part of a broader push to speed up capital punishment cases. That federal decision fits with Idaho’s move and reflects a wider trend among tough‑on‑crime leaders who are tired of endless delays and legal games from activists who try to kill the death penalty through the back door. With lethal injection drugs getting harder to obtain because companies cave to pressure from international activists, states and the federal government are turning back to methods that use common tools like rifles and ammunition instead of scarce chemicals. For many conservative Americans, this shift looks like a return to clear consequences for the worst crimes, after years of confusion created by court fights and media campaigns.

How Idaho’s Firing Squad System Will Work

The Idaho Department of Correction has released a detailed thirty‑six page protocol that explains exactly how firing squad executions will be carried out. Volunteers for the firing squad must be Idaho law enforcement officers who have been certified through the Peace Officer Standards and Training program for at least three years, with no discipline issues in the past year and no family or legal ties to the inmate or victim. Each shooter must pass a firearm proficiency test by hitting a target the same size, shape, height, and distance as the real setup, from about twenty‑one feet away, with one accurate shot from each weapon used. The condemned person will be strapped into a special execution chair and offered a mild sedative the night before and again within four hours of the execution, with a visible target placed over the heart to guide the shooters.

Supporters like Republican Representative Bruce Skaug say this system is humane because death is “sudden, quick, and certain” when trained marksmen fire at the heart rather than slowly injecting chemicals that sometimes fail. The state has already spent close to one million dollars to retrofit the execution chamber at the Idaho Maximum Security Institution, but backers argue this up‑front cost will be offset over time because ammunition and rifles are cheaper and easier to buy than lethal injection drugs. The director of the Idaho Department of Correction must certify within five days of a death warrant whether firing squad can be used; if it is available, firing squad becomes the method, and lethal injection is only the backup. If a court ever rules that the firing squad violates the Constitution, the law clearly states lethal injection would automatically become the required method again, which guards against legal chaos.

Secrecy, Past Failures, and the Fight Over “Humane” Punishment

Critics point to serious concerns that should matter to anyone who cares about honest and limited government, even if they support the death penalty for the worst offenders. Idaho’s law and an earlier secrecy statute shield important details about the execution team from the public and from most court review, making it hard for taxpayers to judge the skills and accountability of those who carry out state‑ordered killings. Death penalty researchers note that every “new” method, from gas chambers to lethal injection, was sold as more humane, only for painful and botched executions to appear later. South Carolina’s recent firing squad executions have already shown this risk: in one case, bullets reportedly hit lower than intended, causing the inmate to bleed and likely remain conscious in severe pain for about a minute before death.

Idaho Makes Firing Squad Primary Execution Method https://t.co/mwIHMEPU1m

— A. Scott Kiser (@Azzli) July 2, 2026

Opponents also highlight that construction on Idaho’s firing squad facility lagged behind schedule, raising questions about whether the system will truly be ready and tested by the 2026 start date. National polling shows support for the death penalty has slowly declined over the years, even as many conservative states, and now the Trump administration, have doubled down on strong punishment for murderers and child predators. For conservatives who value both justice and transparency, the firing squad debate is not just about how to carry out executions; it is about whether government should hide key information from the people while exercising the most serious power it has—the power to take a life. Idaho’s choice to step to the front of the line on firing squad puts the state at the center of a larger battle over crime, punishment, and how openly a free nation should wield its toughest tools.

Sources:

pjmedia.com, idahostatesman.com, police1.com, youtube.com, deathpenaltyinfo.org, facebook.com, davisvanguard.org, corrections1.com, reddit.com, nytimes.com, abc7ny.com