A firing squad has shot a convicted killer in Utah in only the third US execution by that means since 1976.
Ronnie Lee Gardner, 49, was sentenced to death for killing a lawyer in 1985 while trying to flee a court, where he was facing charges over a barman's murder.
He chose to be executed by firing squad before the method was banned by Utah and replaced by lethal injections.
Gardner's last hope for a reprieve was dashed when the US Supreme Court denied his 11th-hour appeal.
As the execution neared, the condemned man was strapped to a black metal chair and hooded, before a target was placed on his chest.
Five executioners fired .30 calibre rifles at him, although one of the weapons carried a blank bullet, allowing members of the firing squad to retain some doubt over whether or not they fired a fatal round.
The killer had eaten his last meal of steak, lobster tail, apple pie, vanilla ice cream and 7UP lemonade on Thursday, having chosen to fast for his remaining time.
Utah attorney general Mark Shurtleff announced that he had approved the execution on micro-blogging site Twitter.
"I just gave the go ahead to corrections director to proceed with Gardner's execution," Mr Shurtleff tweeted shortly before Gardner was shot.
"May God grant him the mercy he denied his victims."
About two dozen members of Gardner's family held a vigil outside the prison as he was shot.
Gardner chose to die by firing squad
Like all other US states where the death penalty is in use, Utah now uses lethal injection as its primary means of putting a condemned man to death.
Only Oklahoma still offers the firing squad as an alternative.
Salt Lake City bishop John Wester said: "I find it barbaric. If you're going to do the death penalty, lethal injection would be the more humane way.
"(A firing squad) emblazons in our consciousness the violence that guns wreak on our lives."
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Ronnie Lee Gardner, 49, was sentenced to death for killing a lawyer in 1985 while trying to flee a court, where he was facing charges over a barman's murder.
He chose to be executed by firing squad before the method was banned by Utah and replaced by lethal injections.
Gardner's last hope for a reprieve was dashed when the US Supreme Court denied his 11th-hour appeal.
As the execution neared, the condemned man was strapped to a black metal chair and hooded, before a target was placed on his chest.
Five executioners fired .30 calibre rifles at him, although one of the weapons carried a blank bullet, allowing members of the firing squad to retain some doubt over whether or not they fired a fatal round.
The killer had eaten his last meal of steak, lobster tail, apple pie, vanilla ice cream and 7UP lemonade on Thursday, having chosen to fast for his remaining time.
Utah attorney general Mark Shurtleff announced that he had approved the execution on micro-blogging site Twitter.
"I just gave the go ahead to corrections director to proceed with Gardner's execution," Mr Shurtleff tweeted shortly before Gardner was shot.
"May God grant him the mercy he denied his victims."
About two dozen members of Gardner's family held a vigil outside the prison as he was shot.
Gardner chose to die by firing squad
Like all other US states where the death penalty is in use, Utah now uses lethal injection as its primary means of putting a condemned man to death.
Only Oklahoma still offers the firing squad as an alternative.
Salt Lake City bishop John Wester said: "I find it barbaric. If you're going to do the death penalty, lethal injection would be the more humane way.
"(A firing squad) emblazons in our consciousness the violence that guns wreak on our lives."
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