Florida executed a man convicted of raping and murdering a child and another man convicted of a double murder on Tuesday, marking the first time a state has carried out two executions on the same day since 2017.
The Sunshine State has ramped up death sentences under Gov. Ron DeSantis, setting a record pace in the United States with 19 executions in 2025 and 12 so far in 2026 with the two men, James Duckett and Dominick Occhicone, put to death by lethal injection hours apart from each other.
DeSantis has signed 40 death warrants over his tenure as a two-term governor.
So far in 2026, Florida is far outpacing other states that have carried out executions. The next two closest states are Texas with four and Oklahoma with two. Arizona executed one man earlier this year. …