University of Richmond law professor Corinna Lain.
October 1, 2026

Eighth Amendment

CNN interviews Richmond Law professor about the return of federal firing squads

When the U.S. Department of Justice announced its expansion of federal execution methods to include firing squads, CNN turned to death penalty expert and Richmond Law professor Corinna Barrett Lain, author of Secrets of the Killing State: The Untold Story of Lethal Injection, for an interview.
The cover of Corrina Lain's book

Lain called the move “a reflection” of how hard it has become for states to obtain the drugs needed to carry out lethal injections competently, but she also described it as a turn toward “explicit brutality.”

Asked if firing squads are more humane, Lain noted that lethal injection fails at a rate of roughly 7–8% and typically takes about 18 minutes compared with the near-instant death caused by gunfire. Still, she resisted calling the method humane.

Lain also pointed to the toll firing squads take on the executioners. While some states issue a blank cartridge to one shooter to obscure individual responsibility, Lain argued that ambiguity does little to shield participants from the psychological weight of taking part in a killing.

The DOJ is currently seeking the death penalty for 44 defendants.