Utah set to resume use of firing squad for executions

Governor Gary Herbert on Monday gave his stamp of approval to a law that brings back the firing squad in the only state that has used it in the past 40 years — Utah.

Under the law, firing squads will be a backup method if lethal-injection drugs aren't available.

See also: American execution: A brief history of the death penalty in the U.S.

Utah and other states have struggled to keep up their inventories as European manufacturers opposed to capital punishment refuse to sell the components of lethal injections to U.S. prisons.

Here's a closer look at how Utah's firing squad works: Read more...

What happens on execution day?

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