South Carolina executed Mikal Mahdi by firing squad on Friday, marking the second use of the method in the state within five weeks.

Mahdi, 42, was convicted of killing an off-duty police officer in 2004 and chose the firing squad over lethal injection or the electric chair.

He was the fifth inmate executed in South Carolina in under eight months, following a 13-year pause.

Mahdi’s death is the 12th U.S. execution of the year.

His lawyers argued he was failed by the justice system and had a violent, traumatic past, NBC News has reported.

South Carolina now has 28 inmates on death row.

Written by B.C. Begley