# Execution by shooting > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Execution_by_shooting > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Execution_by_shooting.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Execution_by_shooting > Source revision: 1356617399 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|Method of execution}} '''Execution by shooting''' is a method of [capital punishment](/source/capital_punishment) in which a person is shot to death by one or more [firearm](/source/firearm)s. It is the most common method of execution worldwide, used in about 70 countries,{{cite web | url = http://www.capitalpunishmentuk.org/shooting.html | title = Shot at dawn! | access-date = 2009-06-10 | last = Clark | first = Richard | year = 2006 | work = Capital Punishment U.K.}} with [execution by firing squad](/source/execution_by_firing_squad) being one particular form. In most countries, execution by a firing squad has historically been considered a more honorable death and was used primarily for military personnel, though in some countries — among them [Belarus](/source/Belarus), the only state in Europe today that has the death penalty — the single executioner shooting inherited from the Soviet past is still in use. ==Brazil== {{See also|Capital punishment in Brazil}} Although Brazil abolished capital punishment in peacetime, it can be used for certain crimes in wartime, such as betrayal, conspiracy, mutiny, unauthorised retreat in battles, and theft of equipment or supplies in a military base.{{Cite news|url=https://draflaviaortega.jusbrasil.com.br/noticias/382781050/afinal-existe-pena-de-morte-no-brasil|title=Afinal, existe pena de morte no Brasil?|work=Jusbrasil|access-date=2018-04-21|language=pt-BR}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.jusbrasil.com.br/topicos/10728590/alinea-a-do-inciso-xlvii-do-artigo-5-da-constituicao-federal-de-1988|title=Art. 5, inc. XLVII, "a" da Constituição Federal de 88|website=Jusbrasil|access-date=2018-04-21}} The execution method in this case is execution by shooting.{{Cite web|url=http://www.gazetadopovo.com.br/justica/lei-brasileira-ainda-preve-pena-de-morte-saiba-quando-pode-ser-aplicada-13bt76fhhhaj6uj0efofd9pfi|title=Lei brasileira ainda prevê pena de morte; saiba quando pode ser aplicada|website=Gazeta do Povo|date=20 October 2017 |language=pt|access-date=2018-04-21}} ==Europe== ===Belarus=== {{See also|Capital punishment in Belarus}} [[File:PB pistol.jpg|thumb|A [PB pistol](/source/PB_(pistol)) with [suppressor](/source/suppressor), used for executions in Belarus]] In Belarus, executions are performed by a single executioner shooting the condemned through the brain from behind with a suppressed pistol.[https://www.cbsnews.com/news/gypsy-laborer-faces-execution-in-belarus/ Gypsy Laborer Faces Execution In Belarus] CBS News, October 13, 2009 ===Germany=== In Germany, shooting by a single bullet to the back of the head was the execution method used in [East Germany](/source/East_Germany) from 1968 until the abolition of capital punishment in 1987 (although the last execution was carried out in 1981 with [Werner Teske](/source/Werner_Teske) being the last executed anywhere in Germany). All executions in East Germany were conducted at a central execution place, located at the [Leipzig Court Building](/source/Leipzig_Court_Building). Prisoners were not informed about the imminent execution until a few seconds before it was carried out — the prisoner were taken to the Leipzig Court Building, where he was put to wait in an office. After a while, an officer would enter the office, telling the prisoner that his execution was imminent. The prisoner was then led into another room, passing three men — the warden, a public prosecutor and the executioner — seemingly by coincidence while walking on the corridor. While passing the executioner, one single shot was fired into the back of the prisoner's head from close range without having the barrel of the pistol touching the prisoners skin. This method was named "unexpected shot on close range" and it was taken great care that the execution was conducted without officers having to handle the prisoner manually in order to prevent any stress reactions. See [Capital punishment in Germany](/source/Capital_punishment_in_Germany). ===Soviet bloc=== {{unreferenced section|date=August 2021}} {{see also|Capital punishment in the Soviet Union}} [[File:Red terror 002.jpg|thumb|Lined up people executed by shooting by [Cheka](/source/Cheka) in 1918 during the [Red Terror](/source/Red_Terror) at a yard in [Kharkiv](/source/Kharkiv), [Ukrainian SSR](/source/Ukrainian_SSR), [The Black Book of Communism](/source/The_Black_Book_of_Communism)]] In 20th-century [communist state](/source/communist_state)s, shooting was a standard form of execution of civilian and military prisoners alike, with the [Soviet Union](/source/Soviet_Union) setting an example of the single-executioner approach. The [firing squad](/source/firing_squad), with its solemn and lengthy ceremony was used infrequently. The most common method was the firing of a [pistol](/source/pistol) bullet ("nine grams of lead") into the brain. This method was widely used during the [Great Purges](/source/Great_Purges) of the late 1930s at locations outside the major cities, e.g. [Krasny Bor](/source/Krasny_Bor_Forest%2C_Karelia) near Petrozavodsk, against purportedly anti-social elements, "counter-revolutionaries" and other [enemies of the people](/source/Enemy_of_the_people). It was also used to execute those who had committed ordinary criminal offenses. Even after the breakup of the Soviet Union, people continued to be executed by shooting. Serial killers [Andrei Chikatilo](/source/Andrei_Chikatilo) and [Sergey Golovkin](/source/Sergey_Golovkin) were executed in this way in 1994 and 1996, respectively, the latter just before Russia discontinued capital punishment as part of its accession to the [Council of Europe](/source/Council_of_Europe). See [Capital punishment in Russia](/source/Capital_punishment_in_Russia). ===United Kingdom=== {{See also|Capital punishment in the United Kingdom}} No British citizen was ever executed for a civilian crime by shooting by the British judiciary. Execution by firing squad was solely a military punishment. A Royal Commission on Capital Punishment considered shooting as a possible alternative to hanging, although the findings published in 1953 concluded shooting was not a sufficiently effective means of execution to justify a change to the method from hanging. ==United States== {{See also|Capital punishment in the United States}} Since 1608, about 142 men have been judicially shot in the United States and [its English-speaking predecessor territories](/source/Colonial_history_of_the_United_States), excluding executions related to the [American Civil War](/source/American_Civil_War).M. Watt Espy and John Ortiz Smylka's database, "Executions in the U.S. 1608-2002: The Espy File." (Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research) [http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/executions-us-1608-2002-espy-file] During the American Civil War, 433 of the 573 men executed were shot dead by a firing squad: 186 of the 267 executed by the Union Army, and 247 of the 306 executed by the Confederate Army. Today, execution by shooting is allowed in the US states of [Florida](/source/Florida), [Idaho](/source/Capital_punishment_in_Idaho), [Oklahoma](/source/Capital_punishment_in_Oklahoma), [South Carolina](/source/Capital_punishment_in_South_Carolina) and [Utah](/source/Capital_punishment_in_Utah), as well as [Mississippi](/source/Mississippi). In the United States, while most executions via shooting have used the traditional firing squad method, Florida enacted legislation in 2025 that opens the possibility of single shot executions like those in Belarus. This July 2025 law further expands the state's already extensive capital punishment laws to allow "any execution method not explicitly deemed unconstitutional," which includes all shooting executions. This makes the United States the only country in the Americas that currently allows executions via single shot, albeit only in Florida so far.{{Cite web|url=https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2025/903|title=House Bill 903 (2025) - The Florida Senate|website=Flsenate.gov|access-date=May 28, 2026}}{{Cite web|url=https://reason.com/2025/06/30/10-of-the-worst-state-laws-going-into-effect-in-july/|title=10 of the worst state laws going into effect in July|first=Autumn|last=Billings|website=Reason.com|date=Jun 30, 2025|access-date=May 28, 2026}} ==Asia== [[File:1948年王春哲被执行死刑.jpg|thumb|An execution by shooting in [Shanghai](/source/Shanghai) in 1948]] [[File:Bang Kwang Execution 1972.jpg|thumb|An execution by Shooting in [Bang Kwang Central Prison](/source/Bang_Kwang_Central_Prison) in 1972]] === Countries where shooting or firing squad is currently used === * '''[Bahrain](/source/Bahrain)''' uses firing squads for execution.{{Cite web|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-bahrain-security-execution-idUSKBN14Z08A|title=Bahrain executes three Shi'ites for bombing, sparks outcry|work=[Reuters](/source/Reuters) |date=January 15, 2017|access-date=October 10, 2019}} * '''[Indonesia](/source/Indonesia)''' administers [capital punishment in Indonesia](/source/Capital_punishment_in_Indonesia) by [firing squad](/source/firing_squad), with shots aimed at the [heart](/source/heart).{{cite web|url=http://www.smh.com.au/world/drug-traffickers-in-indonesia-face-firing-squad-of-12-in-first-executions-of-2015-20150117-12sbid.html|title=Drug traffickers in Indonesia face firing squad of 12 in first executions of 2015|date=2015-01-17|access-date=2015-01-17|website=SMH|last=Cormack|first=Lucy}} * '''[North Korea](/source/North_Korea)''' carries out executions by firing squad in public, making it one of the few countries known to practice [public execution](/source/public_execution) under [capital punishment in North Korea](/source/Capital_punishment_in_North_Korea).{{cite news|last1=Rogers|first1=Simon|last2=Chalabi|first2=Mona|url=https://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2011/mar/29/death-penalty-countries-world|title=Death penalty statistics, country by country|work=[The Guardian](/source/The_Guardian)|date=2013-12-13|access-date=2015-12-13|quote=Public executions were known to have been carried out in Iran, North Korea, Saudi Arabia and Somalia. }} * '''[Oman](/source/Oman)''' uses firing squads for execution under [capital punishment in Oman](/source/Capital_punishment_in_Oman).Amnesty Intl., Death Penalty, MDE 20/002/2001, 8 May 2001. * '''[United Arab Emirates](/source/United_Arab_Emirates)''' uses shooting as the primary method of execution under [capital punishment in the United Arab Emirates](/source/Capital_punishment_in_the_United_Arab_Emirates).{{Cite web|url=https://gulfnews.com/uae/crime/man-who-raped-killed-eight-year-old-boy-obaida-executed-1.2129225|title=Man who raped, killed eight-year-old boy Obaida executed|website=gulfnews.com|date=November 2018 |access-date=10 October 2019}} * '''[Yemen](/source/Yemen)''' uses shooting as the primary method of execution under [capital punishment in Yemen](/source/Capital_punishment_in_Yemen).{{Cite web|url=http://www.capitalpunishmentuk.org/world.html|title=Executions worldwide this month|website=Capitalpunishmentuk.org|access-date=10 October 2019}} === Countries that formerly used shooting but now use other methods === * '''[China](/source/China)''' historically used shooting as a method of execution—either by a [pistol](/source/pistol) shot to the back of the head or neck, or by a [rifle](/source/Type_56_assault_rifle) shot from behind—but since 1997 many executions have increasingly shifted to [lethal injection](/source/lethal_injection) under [capital punishment in China](/source/Capital_punishment_in_China).{{cite web|url=https://3g.163.com/news/article_cambrian/DSMUD3R00001899O.html|title=陕西米脂杀9名学生罪犯赵泽伟被执行枪决_手机网易网|date=27 September 2018|website=3g.163.com|access-date=10 October 2019}}{{cite web|url=http://www.atimes.com/atimes/China/HG21Ad01.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070209082623/http://www.atimes.com/atimes/China/HG21Ad01.html|url-status=unfit|archive-date=2007-02-09|title=China's mobile death fleet|publisher=Asia Times}} [Hong Kong](/source/Hong_Kong) abolished the death penalty and [Macau](/source/Macau) never had the death penalty prior to the handover, and neither restored it when they returned to Chinese sovereignty. * '''[India](/source/India)''' historically used shooting during the [Mughal](/source/Mughal_Empire) period, including the practice known as [blowing from a gun](/source/blowing_from_a_gun), which was later continued by the [British](/source/British_Raj), particularly after the [Sepoy Mutiny of 1857](/source/Sepoy_Mutiny_of_1857). Executions are now carried out by long-drop hanging under [capital punishment in India](/source/Capital_punishment_in_India).# ^ Sahib: The British Soldier in India 1750–1914 Richard Holmes HarperCollins 2005 * '''[Mongolia](/source/Mongolia)''' abolished capital punishment in 2016; prior to abolition, executions involved a bullet to the neck fired from a .38 caliber revolver, a method inherited from Soviet legislation, as documented under [capital punishment in Mongolia](/source/Capital_punishment_in_Mongolia).[https://www.lemonde.fr/asie-pacifique/article/2010/01/14/le-president-mongol-veut-abolir-la-peine-de-mort_1291441_3216.html “Le président mongol veut abolir la peine de mort”], ''Le Monde'', 14 January 2009 * '''[Myanmar](/source/Myanmar)''' has carried out executions by shooting under [capital punishment in Myanmar](/source/Capital_punishment_in_Myanmar).{{Cite web|url=http://www.capitalpunishmentuk.org/mar16.html|title=Executions worldwide this month|website=Capitalpunishmentuk.org|access-date=10 October 2019|url-status=dead}} * '''[Taiwan](/source/Taiwan)''' formerly used shooting as the customary method of execution, involving a single shot aimed at the heart after the prisoner was rendered unconscious by anesthetic, as described under [capital punishment in Taiwan](/source/Capital_punishment_in_Taiwan). * '''[Thailand](/source/Thailand)''' carried out executions by shooting from 1934 until 2003, using a mounted [submachine gun](/source/submachine_gun); executions since then are performed by [lethal injection](/source/lethal_injection) under [capital punishment in Thailand](/source/Capital_punishment_in_Thailand).{{cite web|url=http://www.correct.go.th/eng/deathpenalty.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060414132740/http://www.correct.go.th/eng/deathpenalty.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=2006-04-14|title=Thailand Department of Corrections: Death Penalty|access-date=2007-11-11}}{{Cite web|url=https://freepress.org/article/executioner|title=Executioner|first=Richard S.|last=Ehrlich|date=Jun 4, 2007|website=Freepress.org|access-date=May 28, 2026}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.thaiprisonlife.com/books/the-last-executioner/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120108230613/http://www.thaiprisonlife.com/books/the-last-executioner/|url-status=usurped|archive-date=January 8, 2012|title=The Last Executioner|date=13 August 2007|access-date=10 October 2019}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.voicetv.co.th/read/Bk8HUEHWm|title=ความตายในรอบ 9 ปี 'ราชทัณฑ์' ประหารชีวิตนักโทษชาย คดีฆ่าชิงทรัพย์|website=Voicetv.co.th|date=18 June 2018 |access-date=10 October 2019}} * '''[Vietnam](/source/Vietnam)''' used firing squads prior to 2011 and now carries out executions by [lethal injection](/source/lethal_injection) under [capital punishment in Vietnam](/source/Capital_punishment_in_Vietnam). === Countries where shooting is legal but not commonly used === * '''[Saudi Arabia](/source/Saudi_Arabia)''' permits shooting as a method of execution under [capital punishment in Saudi Arabia](/source/Capital_punishment_in_Saudi_Arabia), though [beheading](/source/beheading) is more common. == See also == {{Portal|Law}} * [Bullet fee](/source/Bullet_fee) * [Execution by firing squad](/source/Execution_by_firing_squad) * [Use of capital punishment by nation](/source/Use_of_capital_punishment_by_nation) == References == === Citations === {{Reflist}} === Sources === {{refbegin}} * Zelitch, Judah. "Soviet Administration of Criminal Law". University of Pennsylvania Press, 1931. {{refend}} == External links == * [https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=950DE4D71039F931A15755C0A96F948260 Method of Execution: A Stark Tradition] ''[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times)'', September 30, 2006 {{capital punishment}} Shooting Category:Firearms --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Execution by shooting](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Execution_by_shooting) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Execution_by_shooting?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.