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Originally Posted by ThunderChunk69
HOW CAN THIS HAPPEN IN 2010?
and no streaming video?
[h1]Death-row inmate dies in a barrage of bullets
[/h1][h2]Utah firing squad executes man convicted of fatal 1985 courthouse shooting[/h2]
By JENNIFER DOBNER
updated 22 minutes ago
SALT LAKE CITY - Death row inmate Ronnie Lee Gardner died in a barrage of bullets early Friday as Utah carried out its first firing squad execution in 14 years.
Shortly before the shooting, Gardner was strapped into a chair and a team of five marksmen aimed their guns at a white target pinned to his chest.
He was pronounced dead at 12:20 a.m.
Utah adopted lethal injection as the default execution method in 2004, but Gardner was one still allowed to choose the controversial firing squad option because he was sentenced before the law changed. He told his lawyer he did it because he preferred it — not because he wanted the controversy surrounding the execution to draw attention to his case or embarrass the state.
Some decried the execution as barbaric, and about two dozen members of Gardner's family held a vigil outside the prison as he was shot. There were no protests at the prison.
The executioners were all certified police officers who volunteered for the task and remain anonymous. They stood about 25 feet from Gardner, behind a wall cut with a gunport, and were armed with a matched set of .30-caliber Winchester rifles. One was loaded with a blank so no one knows who fired the fatal shot. Sandbags stacked behind Gardner's chair kept the bullets from ricocheting around the cinderblock room.
Gardner was sentenced to death for a 1985 capital murder conviction stemming from the fatal courthouse shooting of attorney Michael Burdell during a failed escape attempt. He was at the Salt Lake City court facing a 1984 murder charge in the shooting death of a bartender.
Ya, there are always a few blank rounds added to the guns. And the shooters are randomly given the rifles. That way they can all tell themselves they weren't the ones who actually shot him.Originally Posted by IIcn
Originally Posted by eddiehouse5
Not only do I not understand why anyone would want to watch, I don't understand how someone would want to fire the shots.
I believe, in a modern day firing squad, some of the shooters have blank rounds (was on some type of Nat Geo show)... this way none really knows who fired the killing shot. I could be wrong tho..
Originally Posted by DJprestige21
If you had a choice why would you choose the firing line over possibly one of the best feelings in the world for 5 seconds?
Originally Posted by Kurt Like A Bawwsss
Originally Posted by reeeem0
Originally Posted by 160jordansdeep
this is a serious question does anyone know of a live stream for this event ?
It's not thanksgiving day parade
One was loaded with a blank so no one knows who fired the fatal shot.
this doesn't make sense to me.
shouldn't it be that all but one were loaded with blanks?
this doesn't make sense to me.Originally Posted by Dirtylicious
One was loaded with a blank so no one knows who fired the fatal shot.
this doesn't make sense to me.Originally Posted by Dirtylicious
One was loaded with a blank so no one knows who fired the fatal shot.
Originally Posted by mondaynightraw
I know someone recorded this
Originally Posted by Mr Fizzy Womack
It'd be a crime if I didn't use a bit of my education in this thread...
In Florida, they use the electric chair: The "executioner" is an anonymous citizen, hired by the DOCorrections, is paid ~$150 per execution and can they last as long as 2 mins.12 volunteer citizens and 12 media representatives are the witnesses in the viewing room. Can't remember if family is allowed tho.
In Utah, there's no formal selection process... It's usually done by 5 officers with a mix of blanks & live ammo, all fire concentrating on the torso area.
Utah has been known to seek volunteers for their firing squads though.
Originally Posted by richyung412
Originally Posted by DJprestige21
If you had a choice why would you choose the firing line over possibly one of the best feelings in the world for 5 seconds?
Wat are u talking bout?
COME ON SON!!!!!
this doesn't make sense to me.Originally Posted by Dirtylicious
One was loaded with a blank so no one knows who fired the fatal shot.