The execution of Brad Sigmon, 67, is planned to take place in Columbia in the state of South Carolina. He has been convicted of killing his ex-girlfriend's parents with a baseball bat in 2001.
The man, who has confessed to the crime, has been given the choice between lethal injection, firing squad, or the electric chair. Attorney Gerald King calls it a "hopelessly cruel" and "impossible choice".
The last time someone was executed by firing squad in the USA was in the state of Utah in 2010. The method has also been used in executions in 1996 and 1977 since the death penalty was reintroduced in 1976.
The shortage of drugs used in lethal injections has led some states to explore new alternatives such as nitrogen gas or old methods like firing squads.
During the execution, the condemned will be strapped to a metal chair. A hood will be placed over their head and a marker over their heart. Five meters away, there is an opening in the wall. Behind it stand three volunteer shooters, all with live ammunition in their rifles.
