US Plans Livestreamed Firing Squad Execution of Fort Hood Shooter
The Defense Department confirmed it will livestream the firing-squad execution of Fort Hood shooter Nidal Hasan. The execution is set for Dec. 3.
- 13 people were killed in Hasan's 2009 attack at the Texas Army post.
- 1961 marks the last U.S. military execution; 1945, the last military firing squad.
- 1936 marks the last public execution by a U.S. state, in Kentucky.
- Hasan, a former Army psychiatrist, admitted the shooting at his 2013 trial.
Why it matters: A broadcast execution would break with nearly 90 years of U.S. practice. The plan has split religious leaders and Republican lawmakers.
- Catholic bishops and the Episcopal Church's presiding bishop condemned the livestream.
- Pastor Robert Jeffress backed it, citing Genesis 9:6.
How 16 sources split on this story
Where they split: The dispute is over whether showing the execution publicly honors the value of life or degrades it.
Center coverage, 3 sources: The center focuses on officials being pressed to justify the broadcast and on its possible security risks.
Right coverage, 7 sources: The right presents a debate among Christian leaders over whether scripture supports or condemns a public execution.
What’s next: The execution is scheduled for Dec. 3. Vice President J.D. Vance raised doubts that the public would see it.
- Sens. Thom Tillis and John Curtis criticized the plan; Rep. Andy Ogles welcomed it.
- CBS's Margaret Brennan asked DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin whether a broadcast could make Hasan a martyr.
- Will the administration go ahead with the livestream despite objections within the GOP?
- Does a public broadcast create security risks, as Brennan suggested?
