Mikal Mahdi executed by firing squad in South Carolina for off-duty officer’s brutal murder
Mikal Mahdi was executed by firing squad in South Carolina for the 2004 brutal murder of off-duty police officer Capt. James Myers. This marks South Carolina's second firing squad execution this year.
On Friday, South Carolina carried out the execution of Mikal Mahdi, who was convicted for the 2004 murder of off-duty officer Capt. James Myers. Mahdi, 42, was executed by firing squad, marking the state's second such execution this year.
This event is part of the ongoing use of the controversial method of execution, which has been revived in recent years in several U.S. states.
Mikal Mahdi's execution
Mikal Mahldi's sentence was carried out at 6:05 p.m. ET with 3 voluntary corrections staff member shooting at a target on his heart at the same time.
Mikal Mahdi shot Myers 9 times and the set his body on fire. Photo: People
The execution followed all protocols. He was seated on a restrained metal chair and had a hood placed over his head. Mahdi was pronounced dead shortly after.
Why was Mikal Mahdi executed?
Mahdi was sentenced to death, he committed the murder of Capt. James Myers, in 2004. However, it was not the only one he was responsible for. At 21 years old, Mahdi stole a neighbor's gun and station wagon in Virginia and headed to North Carolina, where he shot gas station clerk Christopher Jason Boggs.
Later in Columbia, he tried to get gas with a rejected credit card, and when the store clerk realized, he called the police. This prompted Mahdi to flee, and he arrived at Myers' property. Here he found his guns and waited for him to arrive.
Myers had been celebrating with his wife on his property when Mahdi ambushed him and shot him 9 times, poured fuel on his body and set him on fire before stealing his police truck and multiple guns.