A South Carolina firing squad has executed a man Friday, the third person to die by that method in the state this year.

Three prison employees, all with live ammunition, volunteered to carry out the execution of Stephen Bryant , 44, who was pronounced dead at 6:05 p.m.

Bryant killed three people in five days in a rural area of the state in 2004.

Bryant chose to die by firing squad instead of lethal injection or the electric chair.

He made no final statement and briefly glanced toward the 10 witnesses before the hood was placed on his head.

The shots rang out about 55 seconds later. Bryant made no noise. The red bullseye target that marks the location of his heart flew forward off his chest.

He had a few shallow breaths and then a final spasm a little over a minute later. A doctor

See Full Page