A claim circulating online in June 2026 stated that Idaho would begin using the firing squad as its primary execution method for death-row prisoners starting July 1, 2026. Some social media posts further suggested this would also be the method for those convicted of raping a child.
This claim has been confirmed as true. Idaho’s House Bill 37, signed into law by Governor Brad Little in March 2025, established the firing squad as the state’s primary execution method, effective July 1, 2026. Lethal injection will still be an option if the firing squad cannot be carried out.
In Idaho, the death penalty can be sought for individuals convicted of first-degree murder or “aggravated lewd conduct with a minor” aged 12 or younger. The state currently has eight prisoners on death row, all convicted of murder. Idaho’s last lethal injection execution attempt in February 2024 was unsuccessful.
Idaho is now the only state in the U.S. to authorize the firing squad as its primary execution method. The state had previously introduced it as an alternative to lethal injection in 2023. The Idaho Statesman reported that retrofitting an existing execution chamber for firing squad use has cost over $1.2 million.
Under Idaho’s updated procedures, qualified volunteers who have held their Peace Officer Standards and Training certification for at least three years are eligible to serve on a firing squad. This includes individuals in law enforcement, felony probation and parole, corrections, detention, and probation roles. These volunteers must also pass a target shooting test and must not have had disciplinary actions concerning firearm use or use of force within the past 12 months. Additionally, they cannot have any blood or legal relationship to the victims or the condemned individual.
Idaho has conducted three executions since amending its death penalty statute in 1977, all of which used lethal injection.
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