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US military plans public livestreamed execution of Fort Hood shooter Nidal Hasan
Overview
US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announced that the military will publicly execute Nidal Hasan, who killed 13 people at the Fort Hood military base in 2009, via a livestreamed firing squad. This marks a return to public executions nearly a century after the last high-profile public hanging in the US in 1936. The decision has drawn mixed reactions, including condemnation from religious leaders and experts who worry about turning capital punishment into entertainment, while President Donald Trump confirmed his approval of the plan.
Key points
- US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announced plans for the military to publicly execute Nidal Hasan, convicted of killing 13 soldiers at Fort Hood in 2009.
- The Pentagon stated that the execution by firing squad will be live-streamed online.
- The last high-profile public hanging in the US occurred in Owensboro, Kentucky, in 1936, leading to states eventually banning public executions due to the spectacle.
- General public support for the death penalty in the US has declined steadily over recent decades, falling from 80% in 1994 to 52%.
- Reactions to the livestream announcement vary, with critics calling it barbaric and akin to a carnival of sadism, while President Donald Trump confirmed he approved the decision.