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First paragraphs is full of "usually", "sometimes" and stuff like that referring to certain practices or anecdotes, without a shred of source to back it up. Quote: "[...] thus preventing both disruption of the process by a single member and identification of the member who fired the lethal shot". Who said that? Where? "There is a tradition in some jurisdictions" which jurisdictions? And later on the same paragraph, what does it mean "by some accounts"? This doesn't seem an academic approach to me. Davide (Turin, IT) 8:29, 24 Jun 2020 (UTC)
Surely "in North America since 1600"? PML.
As written, this comes across as an anti-Mormon statement that IMO violates the NPOV policy. Please clarify who believes this before reinserting it into the article. Rossami 21:49, 17 Mar 2004 (UTC)
A 17 June 2010 BBC News article provides the above information and itself cites a Salt Lake Tribune article that draws quotes from a state representative and a law professor and former Mormon missionary. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/us_and_canada/10254279.stm —Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.242.55.220 ( talk) 17:33, 17 June 2010 (UTC)
The link to a CNN article about firing squads (link 1) that appears not to be working. The URL is http://www.cnn.com/2004/LAW/03/17/firing.squads.ap/index.html Has anyone got another link, or should it just be removed? Kingal86 13:30, 15 Jul 2004 (UTC)
Many people who weren't criminals have been executed by firing squad, e.g. persons captured in wars or revolutions or killed in wartime reprisals. I've replaced the first use of the word 'criminal' with 'person' and the second with 'victim' (which may not be the best word either, but is clearly more appropriate than 'criminal'). Palmiro 18:21, 21 Sep 2004 (UTC)
Hi Rossami. Personally, I don't think the changed wording makes it harder to follow (although as I said, 'victim' may not be the best word - I can't immediately think of a better one though). In relation to the distinction you draw between execution by gunshot and execution by firing squad, I'm not sure that I'm entirely clear as to what falls into which category. Where a large military squadron executes a number of prisoners by firing a volley of shots (which I think was a common practice in a variety of wars, cf the famous Goya painting of the execution of the defenders of Madrid), which category does that fall into?
"If there was a conviction by trial (even if the trial was flawed), the term criminal remains appropriate." I have to say I disagree (even leaving aside the issue of innocent persons who are convicted). I don't think 'criminal' is an appropriate term for persons convicted of political offences. To judge from the content of this (excellent) article, and also given that political trials aren't a very common phenomenon in the US, this may not be a serious issue in relation to the use of the firing squad in the US. However, in many jurisdictions execution by firing squad is commonly used when a person has been convicted in military or special security courts. These are courts which typically try political offences.
You asked for specific examples. First of all, I arrived at this page by following a link from Patrick Pearse. This is a case of a person convicted of an offence by a court martial, but I don't think many people would agree with the use of the term 'criminal' in his regard. It would be a highly controversial judgement, to say the least.
As a second example, during the Irish Civil War the government ordered the execution of 77 captured Republicans. As far as I know all these prisoners were executed without trial and by firing squad (quite a few other killings of prisoners without government authority also took place). The most notorious case is the first one. Four men who had been imprisoned since the start of the war, without undergoing any trial, were executed by firing squad in what was officially stated to be a reprisal for the assassination of a senator from the governing party, an assassination which took place while the four men were in prison. The four were selected primarily on the basis of their origins - symbolically, one from each province.
I'm sorry that both these examples are Irish, as I suspect I could find a good few from elsewhere, but I don't have any reference sources available relating to other countries. Palmiro 23:29, 21 Sep 2004 (UTC)
Yes, 'condemned' sounds like the best option. It avoids the infelicity of 'victim' (which I agree is a problematic term to use when the condemned may be under sentence of death for murder and there's therefore a prior victim in the case) as well as the problems associated with 'criminal'. I've therefore changed 'victim' to 'condemned person'.
Anonymous User:12.216.183.219 added the following as a "third theory" of why a blank cartridge may be used in the firing squad. While I am familiar with this superstition and do not doubt its existence, I have never heard it advanced as a justification for the blank cartridge. Please cite your sources for use of this particular reason for including a blank cartridge. Thanks. Rossami (talk) 19:46, 19 Dec 2004 (UTC)
At 23:52, 26 Jan 2005, Centralman expanded the paragraph on the Chinese practice of execution as shown below (italics added). While it's an interesting fact, it is a distraction from this article's core topic of "execution by firing squad". Any suggestions on where this could fit better? Rossami (talk) 13:47, 27 Jan 2005 (UTC)
Execution by firing squad is distinct from other forms of execution by firearms such as the "single shot from a handgun to the back of the neck" practiced by the People's Republic of China in the past. It has since changed to "single shot from an assualt rifle to the back of the head with a special bullet that expands upon impact." It usually results in the disintegration of the upper half portion of the head. In Thailand, before lethal injection is being adopted in the 21st century, execution is being carried out by a single executioner firing a mounted Heckler & Koch mp5, which fires in 3 round bursts aiming at the heart of the condemned prisoner.
Until there has been a decision made or otherwise, please allow me to post up there, thanks.
I'm not sure who posted the recommendation for the merger, but looking at the current size of the articles, they could easily be merged. We can always split them out again if they ever do become too large. Any objections? Rossami (talk) 02:49, 29 January 2006 (UTC)
C.'s execution should not be quoted as an exemple of "Execution by firing squad". He and his wife were shot by a single executioner with a submachine gun. (see article Nicolae Ceauşescu). Kauko, 16:22, 6 March 2006 (CEST)
I question:
Ummm, I know almost nothing about Finnish law or military affairs but this seems like a stretch because 1) Finland seems ill-disposed to enter a war, nor does it appear that hostilities are going to break out among Finland's neighbors in the near future (I know, I'm being presumptive in light of history...) 2) Finland is in the EU which require member states to forswear use of the death penalty in all cases. Am I completely off the mark here, or what? Ellsworth 00:56, 9 May 2006 (UTC)
Re-introduction of death penalty at wartime is considered as a self-evident issue here in Finland, no matter what the EU legislature might say. The grim realities of the war and necessities of keeping discipline on the conscripts override the ideals of the Brussels legislators. Hell, how do you expect to keep discipline on those conscripts who are craven, unwilling or have weak nerves if you don't show them the choices are either probable death from ahead or certain death from behind???
I have myself served in the Finnish Army, I am a reserve officer and I know exactly what I am talking about. So does each and every Finnish reservist, and in Finland almost each and every able-bodied male is a soldier. It is a common assumption in Finland the death-penalty will be reinstated for disciplinary reasons in wartime just as it was 1944. It is not perhaps nonsense to say that swift executions of deserters showed an example for the would-be deserters and saved the front from breaking in the Soviet Summer Offensive 1944.
That is what our drill sergeants and commanding officers unianimously said. Some units even carried out mock executions with blanks. Likewise, that issue arises every now and then on Finnish discussion forums, and the common opinion is that death penalty will be reinstated immediiately at wartime. A verifiable citation might be sergeants Pinola and Klevdahl who said that in situ while I served. United States does not have conscription while we have. If you need to drag on the unmotivated, craven, unwilling or neurotic, you have to deal with them with extreme methods if needed to keep discipline and to prevent them from undermining the motivation and morale of the whole unit. I do not know if you have yourselves served and if you have been in a conscript army, but I served - against my will - and I was a conscript, because if I hadn't served in the army, I would never have gotten any decent job in the civilian life. I know exactly what I am talking about. Small nations simply cannot afford any idealism or humour on miiitary matters. I know exactly also what the fate of the conscientious objectors will be in wartime. They are given rifle and they are ordered to fight. If they don't, they are shot. Exactly what happened to Arndt Pekurinen in 1941. Sorry, no conscientious objection here in wartime. No leeway for individualism or dissidents when the existence of the nation is at stake. Conscientious objection at peacetime doesn't free anyone from military service at wartime.
I'm not so sure about this: "Officers and NCOs also had (and still have) the right to shoot a disobedient subordinate on spot in case the subordinate is endangering the unit in a battle or in a severe storm." Citation definitely needed. Also, I want to add that death penalty during wartime is also prohibited by the Finnish constitution, and I seriously doubt that Finland would reinstall capital punishment during war. At least not officially.
Vidkun Quisling was Prime Minister of Norway from 1940-1945. While it is true that he was later executed by firing squad for collaboration with the German occupants, he was clearly not a Finn. Guest 18:09, 15 Jun 2006 (UTC)
Well, while the superiors have right to defend the troops by use of force in cases of insurrection and rebellion, this can hardly be called "capital punishment". Section 26a justifies the use of force by soldiers in different situations. It does not describe any form of capital punishment. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 80.222.50.237 ( talk • contribs) at 12:15, 24 July 2006 (UTC)
Huhtiniemi graves are no more mere "speculation". On the excavations on 17 October 2006, eleven skeletons, all male, aging 20-22, were exhumed. All were buried without coffins and in a row. All show signs of bullets. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.213.87.65 ( talk • contribs)
The number of executed in the Civil War is great, but the number given here, 9700, is based on misinterpretation of the statistics held by the National Archives. The number 9 700 is "Teloitettu, ammuttu, murhattu", 'executed, shot, murdered'. There is a very detailed study of political violence in Finland in two volumes: Jaakko Paavolainen (1966): Poliittiset väkivaltaisuudet Suomessa 1918, 1 Punainen terrori Jaakko Paavolainen (1967): Poliittiset väkivaltaisuudet Suomessa 1918, 2 Valkoinen terrori. It is absolutely clear that a great part of victims were simply murdered without even a mock trial. Many POW:s were shot just to get rid of them. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Kalju-Kalle ( talk • contribs) 13:38, 7 December 2007 (UTC)
"The condemned is typically blindfolded or hooded..." What is the rationale behind this custom?-- Soylentyellow 12:12, 27 January 2007 (UTC)
Fixed. Thank you.
just before i clicked on this page, i thought "i hope they have the goya!" thanks! good work--
86.146.230.113 21:09, 5 July 2007 (UTC)
Firstly, the "blank cartridge" story is a common myth (not to say a "lie") among soldiers and war novel readers. It might be that it was used in official executions in civilian justice, but to my best knowledge in martial law executions sure all the rifles are loaded! However I have no factual sources for this so I leave the article unchanged (somehow my old basic recruit training handbook misses the chapter - "firing squad executions :) )
Secondly: "While an experienced marksman can tell the difference between a blank and a live cartridge based on the recoil " - this is equally true, as it is irrelevant - if you ever (were forced to) fire a rifle at another man, you might know that almost anyone's nerves are so wound up at the moment, that they don't feel any recoil or anything else
-- Albert Cuandero 22:16, 8 July 2007 (UTC)
I believe I've found a reliable source for the practice of including blank rounds among the live ammunition used by firing squads, namely the 1947 US Army Manual 27-4, "Procedure for Military Executions". This manual describes the procedures for hangings and firing squad executions in considerable detail, and in the latter case specifies that eight rifles be used, of which at least one but no more than three will be loaded with blank ammunition. I will add a sentence to the article saying this. It would be interesting to know how widespread the practice of using blank rounds was in other countries, or for civilian executions, and what the rationale was. Manual 27-4 gives no rationale, just the procedures. CharlesHBennett ( talk) 03:18, 9 February 2010 (UTC)
Albert Cuandro: How do you know? Have you ever done it? Some squads are hand picked men Eager to shoot a traitor, spy, enemy. They are not "tense".
Any One, not just a "trained marksman" can Feel the Kick of a big Mauser rifle or .30-'06. They Kick, Hard. Even an automatic Grand or little Winchester model 94 in .30-30. There is no: "memory of soft recoil" or even "tensed muscles" to negate it. A big man feels it the most; a small man pivots a bit from it. An automatic rifle, if used, will usually not cycle the expended round out and then lock open if it's a blank. A Sure sign of a blank being used. No blank plugs would be installed--too much chance of it being forgotten and a live round being used in it, causing damage to the gun. Newton's Law is not abrogated becauase of psychology... Tintinteslacoil ( talk) 17:12, 20 September 2011 (UTC)
Since the consitutionality of gas chamber, lethal injection and electric chair is under scrutiny, has execution by firing squad ever been considered to be a cruel and unusual punishment? And if the aforementioned methods are found unconstitutional, will it result as resurgence of hanging and/or firing squads? 62.237.141.27 21:09, 20 October 2007 (UTC)
A redirect for this well-known phrase has been set to this article, so I've tried to add a minimum of relevant material, including some mention of the recent 'shot at dawn' campaign. (IMHO a redirect should be to an article with at least some note on the redirected usage!). The phrase 'shot at dawn' has a long tradition (but what was done in Cromwell's time??) and is not, on due inspection, completely self-evident (eg some of the drama in the final moments of Tosca is because the execution of her lover is at sunrise ). Bob aka Linuxlad ( talk) 10:46, 7 January 2008 (UTC)
Russians claims they have shot looters in the South Ossetia/ Georgia conflict by firesquad.Probably hundreds of thousends if not millions of people where killed by firesquad in Russia and the Sovietunion in the 20th century alone.Someone should write more on this. As well as China. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 77.176.12.208 ( talk) 05:47, 22 August 2008 (UTC)
-G — Preceding unsigned comment added by 70.24.152.158 ( talk) 09:26, 16 May 2012 (UTC)
...the time-honored tale of the Polish format for firing squads - they form a circle around the condemned. Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? 10:45, 24 November 2008 (UTC)
Known locally as "The Finnish Line". Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? 18:38, 3 January 2009 (UTC)
Anybody? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 83.12.91.242 ( talk) 17:08, 22 January 2009 (UTC)
I would say there are several reasons: (1) to prevent the person fleeing, lying down or engaging in other physical activity that might be "embarrassing" for all involved; and (2) to prevent the person from being knocked over by the first, and possibly non-fatal, bullet, as I would imagine that absolutely simulataneous firing is hard to achieve 99.240.142.65 ( talk) 03:49, 15 March 2009 (UTC)
Most executed in the Mexican Revolution of 1910-1920 were hung. By both the rebels and the federal troops. Pancho Villa later "stacked" prisoners to save ammo. One rifle bullet would kill up to 7 men; a pistol, up to 3.
See "Insurgent Mexico". John Reed. Tintinteslacoil ( talk) 17:15, 20 September 2011 (UTC)
According to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eddie_Slovik he was the only soldier to be executed since the phil.-american war. This article states that it is since the civil war. Which is it?
Are the pictures of actual executions by firing squad (the German firing squad executing civilians in Bochnia and the Soviet infiltrator being shot during the Continuation War) necessary? It seems a bit over the top to show real pictures of people being killed, and the other images in this article convey the point quite clearly without them. Alexjcharlton ( talk) 23:30, 26 April 2009 (UTC)
The Bahrain section describes the method of execution as being by a single sharpshooter. This doesn't fit the definition of firing squad as given in the first paragraph. The section has also been tagged as needing citations for over a year now, so I've deleted it completely. Rojomoke ( talk) 22:04, 18 July 2009 (UTC)
The Danish authorities executed 46 prisoners as part of the legal purges following World War 2 and the Occupation of Denmark. The executions took place in two different locations in the country and was conducted by a firing squad of 8 policemen.
I intend to start a new article on the legal purges and the executions, but figured I might as well add a new section here as well. It won't be today though, as I'm busy elsewhere. —Preceding unsigned comment added by KDLarsen ( talk • contribs) 16:59, 15 March 2010 (UTC)
Since according to the "Firing squads in the United States" section, Idaho has now outlawed firing squads, shouldn't the state be painted green, in the map? Thanks-- Kingsfold ( talk) 11:10, 17 June 2010 (UTC)
Additionally, Utah's law banning firing squad is not retroactive, as stated in the article. So no new convicts can be sentenced but as of 17 June 2010 there are still men on death row who can be executed this way.
This map keeps getting more outdated. I'm moving it from the article to this talk page hoping someone will fix it. Leaving it in the article is just too confusing to readers at this point. Tripleahg ( talk) 20:19, 17 March 2015 (UTC)
The Wikipedia article refers to one person in the squad using a blank, but according to this CNN article one person is issued an ineffective round. The round causes the same feedback in the rifle. Suggestions?
http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/06/09/utah.firing.squad/index.html
129.174.161.41 ( talk) 19:46, 17 June 2010 (UTC)
The article quoth:
Regardless if is carried out properly, execution by firing squad is debated as to whether or not it is a "humane" practice. It is possible that it can be a "relatively" painless and extremely swift but fairly messy way to kill a human being. If the executioners aim at the head, a single hit in the brain, especially the brain stem, is "usually" immediately fatal. Since bullets are faster than neural impulses, it is "unlikely" the convict will feel any pain.
If those are quoted from somebody, they should be cited; if they're not, the scare quotes should be removed. Jpatokal ( talk) 00:23, 19 June 2010 (UTC)
Boneyard: You have deleted (well) sourced material with no good cause. No, the cause you gave was not good enough. The article is not only about the act of execution by shooting (which by its nature must be in the past) but the policy of execution, and this is especially relevant for a country which, having not executed anyone for ten years, has announced it will recommence capital punishment. Or do you think a death sentence is irrelevant to an execution?
On another note, I notice you are now claiming it is an unnecessarily detailed edit when in fact it is only as detailed as it was before; whereas previously your only beef was with the fact that it was unsourced. That I rectified. You never mentioned unnecessary detail earlier, so don't now. I am going to now replace the relevant and verifiable information you deleted. TTFN. Basket Feudalist 15:56, 13 February 2013 (UTC)
F*ck it. Looks like I might be wrong... Apologies. Basket Feudalist 12:17, 23 February 2013 (UTC)
In Cuba the death penalty is by firing squad too but nothing is said about it. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 98.235.219.123 ( talk) 03:15, 30 March 2013 (UTC)
Where is India?First incident of execution by firing happened in India.After 1st battle of Panipat,prisoners were executed by firing. Ovsek ( talk) 12:38, 17 April 2013 (UTC)
Are you on drugs? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 2.103.231.189 ( talk) 09:47, 1 June 2013 (UTC)
I am not on drugs,dear,see here- Babur#First_battle_of_Panipat — Preceding unsigned comment added by Ovsek ( talk • contribs) 15:52, 3 June 2013 (UTC)
I've removed the 'Globalize' tag because with some fourteen countries represented, it did not seem relevant; I could not see the need for it. RASAM ( talk) 22:27, 8 August 2013 (UTC)
He is wearing German uniforms on all pictures, unlikely that he was captured in any other clothing. -- 41.151.42.254 ( talk) 01:27, 21 October 2014 (UTC)
Perhaps I should ask this over on Wikimedia Commons, but is there any sense of how authentic the photo is of Austrians executing Serbs in 1917? I clicked through the one active link on the file's page to the National Archives | here , and the photo description reads as propaganda, which is a bit unsurprising as it was put out in 1917 by the US War Dept. My bigger question is that looking at the soldiers' boots, they seem really mismatched to the ground that they're standing on, almost like a cut-and-paste. Konchevnik81 ( talk) 20:49, 8 December 2014 (UTC)
"Utah to resume use of firing squad for executions": [1] Martinevans123 ( talk) 08:56, 24 March 2015 (UTC)
In the North Korea article, it states that Kim Jong Un ordered his education advisor executed by shooting squad for "slumping in his chair at a meeting". Should this be added to the article about where shooting squads are used? Planer 12346578955 ( talk) 22:16, 9 December 2016 (UTC)
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Hello, the painting Tres de Mayo (Third of May) is an artistic representation of a firing squad. I think this photograph could ba a better candidate :
This is an actual photograph of a firing squad, all the elements are clearly visible (soldiers and victims) and centered. What do you think ? Skimel ( talk) 20:02, 28 November 2017 (UTC)
I've inserted the dubious tag as to blank rifle cartridges exhibiting less recoil than live ammunition. First the background. Boyle's law states that a gas will expand equally in all directions to fill the space which contains a gas. Dalton's law states that pressure of a gas mixture is equal to the sum of partial pressure of the constituents of a gas. This in turn means that recoil is caused by backward expansion of gas generated from the powder charge such that the amount of gas generated is dictated by the size of the propellant, which in the case of a firearm is usually a black powder charge. Because Einstien's GR states that both engergy and mass are properties of mater that can be neither created nor destroyed (i.e. double law of conservation - neither engergy nor mass can be created nor destroyed) it then therefore follows that recoil is the force caused by gas expansion towards the breach of the weapon, not the gas traveling forward which can escape the barrel. This in turn makes the references highly unlikely to be true when combined with a working knowledge of the laws of physics, such that a second independent verifiable source is needed to verify the accuracy of the facts claimed. 98.178.191.34 ( talk) 18:24, 17 April 2022 (UTC)
I am proposing that /info/en/?search=Execution_by_shooting be merged into /info/en/?search=Execution_by_firing_squad, or vice-versa. The topics are substantially similar and the former talks mostly about firing squad executions rather than non-firing squad shooting executions. Even the top photo on Execution by shooting is a photo of execution by firing squad.
E.g., under Asia " Bahrain uses firing squads for execution" and "In Indonesia, capital punishment is administered by a firing squad which aims for the heart." Under United States: "Since 1608, about 142 men have been judicially shot in the United States and its English-speaking predecessor territories, excluding executions related to the American Civil War" (the source speaks of all shooting deaths, including firing squads).
To be clear, execution by shooting is distinct from execution by firing squad. All executions by firing squad are executions by shooting, but a singular executioner using a gun is not execution by firing squad. Thus, it may be easier to rename this article to "Execution by shooting" with a header explaining executions by firing squad. A good reason to keep the name "...firing squad" is that people typically refer to executions by firing squad as the method of execution involving guns and, at least in American English, "execution by shooting" is a relatively rare turn of phrase. Jbp192 ( talk) 21:26, 7 November 2022 (UTC)