Justice Department adopting firing squads for executions to expedite capital punishment cases
Share this @internewscast.com

The Justice Department is set to introduce firing squads as an approved method of execution, marking a significant shift as the Trump administration intensifies efforts to accelerate capital punishment cases, officials revealed on Friday.

Additionally, the Justice Department plans to reinstate the single-drug lethal injections using pentobarbital. This method was previously employed to execute 13 individuals during Trump’s initial term, a record number for any modern presidency. Previously, the Biden administration had removed pentobarbital from the federal execution protocol, citing concerns over the potential for causing unnecessary pain and suffering.

These decisions are part of a larger initiative to resume federal executions, following a halt during the Biden administration. While only three inmates remain on federal death row, President Biden had commuted the sentences of 37 to life imprisonment. However, the Trump administration has already authorized the pursuit of death sentences for 44 defendants.


Acting US Attorney General Todd Blanche speaking at a press conference.
Acting US Attorney General Todd Blanche during a press conference at the US Department of Justice, in Washington, DC, USA, 21 April 2026. WILL OLIVER/EPA/Shutterstock

“The previous administration neglected its responsibility to protect American citizens by failing to seek and execute the ultimate punishment for the most dangerous criminals, including terrorists, child murderers, and police killers,” stated Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. “Under President Trump’s leadership, the Department of Justice is once again upholding the law and supporting victims.”

Until now, the federal government had not included firing squads in its execution methods, as noted by the Death Penalty Information Center. Currently, five states—Idaho, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Utah—permit executions by firing squad.

The use of pentobarbital was initially adopted by Bill Barr, who served as attorney general during Trump’s first term. This method replaced a three-drug combination previously used in the 2000s, the last period of federal executions before Trump’s tenure.

Attorney General Merrick Garland in the final days of the Biden administration withdrew the pentobarbital lethal injection policy after a government review of scientific and medical research found there remains “significant uncertainty” about whether its use causes unnecessary pain and suffering.”


Sign for the Federal Correctional Complex, Terre Haute with a guard tower in the background.
View of a sign outside the Terre Haute Federal Correctional Complex where death row inmate Wesley Ira Purkey was scheduled to be executed by lethal injection. SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

In 2020, under Barr’s leadership, the Justice Department published a rule in the Federal Register to allow the federal government to conduct executions by lethal injection or use “any other manner prescribed by the law of the state in which the sentence was imposed.”


Follow The Post’s live coverage of President Trump and national politics for the latest news and analysis


A number of states allow other methods of execution, including electrocution, inhaling nitrogen gas or death by firing squad.

The Trump administration, in a report released Friday, said the Biden administration “got the standard and the science wrong.” The Biden administration’s findings, among other things, “failed to address the overwhelming evidence” that an injected with pentobarbital quickly “quickly loses consciousness—rendering him unable to experience pain,” the report said.

Currently on death row are are Dylann Roof, who carried out the 2015 racist slayings of nine Black members of Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina; 2013 Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev; and Robert Bowers, who fatally shot 11 congregants at Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life synagogue in 2018, the deadliest antisemitic attack in U.S history.

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like
NYPD cop opens fire on career criminal who shot man outside NYC store in ambush-style attack

NYPD Officer Neutralizes Armed Career Criminal in Ambush Shooting Outside NYC Store

A New York City police officer discharged his weapon at a known…
Redding police warn of high school water gun 'assassin' game

Redding Police Issue Advisory on High School Water Gun ‘Assassin’ Game

As graduation season draws near, a beloved high school tradition is once…
Third US military aircraft carrier arrives in Middle East

Third US Aircraft Carrier Deploys to Middle East Amid Rising Tensions

The United States has increased its naval presence in the Middle East,…
Spencer Pratt blasts LA's $40M MacArthur Park plan

Spencer Pratt Criticizes LA’s $40M Investment in MacArthur Park Redevelopment

Amidst plans to inject $40 million into revitalizing Los Angeles’ MacArthur Park,…
Mali gunmen stage simultaneous attacks in and outside Bamako capital

Gunmen Launch Coordinated Strikes in and Around Mali’s Capital, Bamako

Militants launched a series of attacks on Saturday morning in Mali, targeting…
Truth behind ugly family feud that led to supposed 'spur of the moment' black paint attack on bride

Unveiling the Shocking Family Feud: The Real Story Behind the ‘Spur-of-the-Moment’ Black Paint Attack on Bride

In a dramatic twist of family dynamics, a UK bride was left…
gif of U.S. strike on suspected narco terrorist ship in the Eastern Pacific

US Military’s Precision Strike: Two Narco-Terrorists Neutralized in Pacific Drug Bust

The United States military executed a deadly strike on a vessel in…
Hollywood elite in secret gathering at liquor heiress's mansion to shower Dem presidential candidates with cash

Hollywood Luminaries Convene at Liquor Heiress’s Estate for Exclusive Democratic Fundraising Event

On Thursday, a select group of Democratic governors, many seen as potential…
USF doctoral students vanish as family says disappearance is 'very suspicious' and 'unusual'

Authorities Detain Suspect Following Disappearance of Two USF Doctoral Students from Tampa Campus and Nearby Residence

An individual has been detained concerning the case of two missing doctoral…
City manager 'begged' fired Cincinnati police chief for more officers on street as crime skyrocketed

City Manager Urgently Requested Additional Officers from Dismissed Cincinnati Police Chief Amid Rising Crime Rates

Cincinnati’s former police chief, Teresa Theetge, who previously faced a lawsuit from…
Chicago police issue alert on robbery crew targeting restaurants, including Griddle 24 in River North, Arturo's Tacos in Bucktown

Chicago Restaurants on High Alert: Robbery Crew Targets Popular Eateries in River North and Bucktown

CHICAGO (WLS) — Chicago authorities have issued a warning about a string…
Louisiana mall mass shooting victim ID’d as high school senior Martha Odom who went on NYC trip week before tragedy

Tragedy Strikes: Louisiana Mall Shooting Claims Life of High School Senior Martha Odom, Days After NYC Trip

A Louisiana teenager, tragically caught in a mall shooting, was participating in…