McAlester, Okla. — Kendrick Simpson was executed by lethal injection early Thursday morning at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary, paying the price for a 2006 drive-by shooting that claimed the lives of two young men. He was pronounced dead at 10:19 a.m. CST, marking the second execution in the United States this week.
A jury found the 45-year-old Simpson guilty of first-degree murder in 2007 after he fired approximately 20 rounds from an AR-15 at Anthony Jones, 19, and Glen Palmer, 20, in Oklahoma City. The brutal attack occurred during a confrontation at a gas station and was a culmination of rising tensions from an earlier encounter at a local club, where derogatory remarks about Simpson’s baseball cap sparked a violent reaction.
Before his execution, Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond stated that Simpson “hunted his victims” and highlighted his lack of remorse for the murders. In contrast, Simpson’s attorney, Emma Rolls, argued during a clemency hearing in January that he had taken responsibility for his actions and expressed deep regret for the pain he caused. She noted that Simpson struggled with post-traumatic stress disorder stemming from a troubled childhood in New Orleans’ Ninth Ward, compounded by the traumas of Hurricane Katrina.
Rolls emphasized Simpson’s difficult upbringing, mentioning that his mother was a teenager grappling with addiction when he was born and that he faced sexual abuse during his childhood. She pointed out that these experiences significantly influenced his actions, asserting that he recognizes the impact of his crimes on the victims’ families and has made efforts to change, including earning his GED.
Despite his expressed remorse, the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board denied Simpson’s clemency petition by a narrow 3-2 vote, upholding the sentence handed down in the aftermath of the violent incident. The tragic context of Simpson’s life and the details surrounding his actions were weighed but ultimately did not deter the board from reaching its decision.
Simpson’s execution comes in a broader context of increasing activity in the U.S. regarding capital punishment. This year, he was the third person executed nationwide and followed a prisoner execution in Florida two days earlier. Notably, Florida had a record number of 19 executions in 2025, underscoring a rising trend in capital cases across the country.
The lives forever changed by the drive-by shooting of 2006 serve as a somber reminder of the violence that can erupt from seemingly trivial disputes. As discussions about justice, punishment, and society’s responsibility to address underlying issues continue, this case stands as a point of reflection for many across the nation.