15年來首次，美國對殺人犯執行槍決

據報道，當地時間3月7日晚，美國南卡羅來納州對67歲的死囚布拉德·西格蒙執行了槍決（executed by firing squad）。這是自2010年以來美國首次採用槍決方式執行死刑，也是自1976年恢復死刑以來全美第四例槍決處決。

A convicted double murderer has been executed by firing squad – the first such execution in the United States since 2010, according to the South Carolina Department of Corrections.

The execution of Brad Sigmon, 67, by the South Carolina Department of Corrections on Friday is only the fourth firing squad execution in the US since capital punishment was reinstated in 1976, according to the Death Penalty Information Center.

布拉德·西格蒙

西格蒙因在2001年用棒球棒殘忍殺害前女友的父母而被判處死刑。據報道，他犯案時還持槍綁架了前女友，但後者成功逃脫。

Sigmon was convicted of the 2001 bludgeoning deaths of his ex-girlfriend's parents. After their murders, Sigmon kidnapped his ex-girlfriend at gunpoint, but she managed to escape.

在行刑前，他選擇了槍決，而非電椅或注射死刑。南卡羅來納州懲教部門表示，西格蒙於7日晚被槍決，隨後被宣佈死亡。

Sigmon chose firing squad over the two other state-approved methods of execution, lethal injection or the electric chair. He was pronounced dead by a physician at 6:08 pm ET, officials said at a news conference Friday.

西格蒙的律師透露，西格蒙選擇槍決是因為他不想慢慢死去——在其看來，電椅會“將他活活烤熟”；注射死刑的藥物資訊不透明，可能導致“長期且可能折磨性的死亡”，或許還會“使液體湧入肺部，將他淹死”。

Sigmon's lawyers said he chose the firing squad because the electric chair would "cook him alive", and he feared that a lethal injection of pentobarbital into his veins would send a rush of fluid and blood into his lungs and drown him.

據報道，

西格蒙在被執行槍決前要求吃一份肯德基（KFC）作為“最後一餐”，其中包括土豆泥和青豆。

Sigmon received his special requested meal Wednesday night. He was given an individual meal from Kentucky Fried Chicken that included mashed potatoes and green beans.

南卡羅來納州允許死刑犯選擇三種執行方式：注射、電椅或行刑隊（即槍決）。槍決在美國曆史上較為罕見，自1997年以來，只有三名囚犯被行刑隊處決，均發生在猶他州。