In a shocking turn of events on Friday evening, Mikal Mahdi, a convicted cop killer from South Carolina, was executed by a volunteer firing squad.
The execution took place just after 6 p.m., following Mahdi’s decision to opt for this rare method of capital punishment, rather than lethal injection or the electric chair.
A Violent End for a Notorious Criminal
The 42-year-old, who had been convicted for the brutal murder of police captain James Myers in 2004, made no final statement before his death.
As Mahdi stood before the firing squad, he refused to acknowledge the nine witnesses in the room, separated from him by bulletproof glass.
When the three bullets struck his chest, Mahdi cried out from beneath the hood covering his head.
His body convulsed, and for a moment, the red bullseye placed over his heart was pushed into the wound.
He groaned for about 45 seconds, and his breaths lingered for another 80 seconds before he ultimately gasped his last breath.
The doctor pronounced him dead at 6:05 p.m., only four minutes after the execution was carried out.
Mahdi’s execution marked the fifth time a firing squad had been used in the United States since 1976, all of which took place in Utah—until South Carolina recently reintroduced the method.
The Murder of Captain James Myers and Mahdi’s History of Violence
The victim, Captain James Myers, was tragically murdered by Mahdi in a shocking act of violence.
Myers, 56, was shot nine times before his body was set on fire.
Mahdi’s brutal actions did not stop there; just days before killing Myers, he pleaded guilty to the murder of a convenience store clerk, Christopher Jason Boggs, in North Carolina.
Despite his cold-hearted crimes, Mahdi’s defense attorneys argued for a stay of execution, claiming he had never received the mental health care he desperately needed during his childhood.
Mahdi reportedly had a history of suicide threats and endured extreme abuse and trauma.
Yet, prosecutors painted a different picture, labeling Mahdi as the “epitome of evil” and emphasizing the malice and hate in his heart.
The Final Days Before Execution
Mahdi’s final days were marked by a series of violent incidents while incarcerated.
As a death row inmate, he was involved in multiple assaults, including stabbing a guard and attacking another with a concrete block.
He was also caught attempting to escape three times, once with a sharpened metal object fashioned into a knife.
His actions spoke to the violent nature of his character, something that prosecutors repeatedly pointed out during his appeal.
Before his execution, Mahdi admitted his guilt in a letter, acknowledging the irredeemable nature of his crimes.
His final appeal was rejected by both the U.S. and South Carolina Supreme Courts this week.
Mahdi had been sentenced to life in prison for the murder of the store clerk before his brutal killing of Captain Myers.
A Divided Opinion on the Firing Squad
The execution has sparked debate about the use of firing squads as a method of capital punishment.
Mahdi’s attorneys, who witnessed the execution, described the process as “horrifying,” arguing that such an act should not take place in a civilized society.
On the other hand, South Carolina lawmakers have defended the firing squad, stating it is the quickest and most humane option available.
With this execution, Mahdi becomes the fifth prisoner to be executed in South Carolina in less than eight months.
His death also adds to the growing list of executions in the U.S. this year, with 12 inmates put to death so far in 2025.
South Carolina currently holds 28 inmates on death row, with the last new sentence handed down nearly a decade ago.