US States Use Lethal Injection, Nitrogen, Firing Squads for Executions

The United States continues to employ multiple methods for capital punishment across different states. These include lethal injection, nitrogen inhalation, and firing squads.

Nitrogen inhalation was first used anywhere globally in Alabama in 2024. The method has drawn international criticism, with UN experts describing it as potentially akin to torture. Five executions have been carried out using this approach.

The varying execution methods reflect the decentralized nature of US capital punishment law, where individual states retain authority over their practices.