Washington sniper executed for deadly 2002 shootings

Jarratt, Virginia: A defiant John Allen Mohammad, the sniper who terrified the Washington region in 2002 as he orchestrated 10 fatal and seemingly random shootings, was executed on Tuesday by lethal injection inside Virginia's death chamber.

Mohammad, 48, was pronounced dead at 9.11pm, said Larry Traylor, spokesman for the Virginia Department of Corrections, speaking outside the Greensville Correctional Facility on an overcast night.

Asked if he wanted to make a last statement, Mohammad declined and "did not acknowledge us", Traylor said. The execution took place without incident, he said.

Issuing a statement on behalf of Mohammad's family and lawyers, attorney Jonathan Sheldon said they "deeply sympathise with the families and loved ones" of the victims, and offered "prayers for a better future" for the those left behind.

Virginia Governor Tim Kaine denied Mohammad's appeal for clemency earlier in the day, and the Supreme Court on Monday rejected his bid to halt the execution. His lawyers had claimed he was mentally ill, an argument that had failed previously on appeal.

So many relatives of Mohammad's victims were on hand for the execution, Traylor said, that the prison could not accommodate all those who wished to see him draw his last breath.

As his execution drew near, Mohammad "accepted his fate," said one of his lawyers, J. Wyndal Gordon, who met with Mohammad.

"He has no remorse because he maintains his innocence," Gordon said.

During the day, Mohammad was allowed to meet with members of his family, including a 27-year-old son, Lindbergh Williams.