Trump says military execution of Fort Hood gunman will not be livestreamed

US President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that the execution of Fort Hood gunman Nidal Hasan would not be broadcast live, but immediate families of the victims would be permitted to witness it in person. Hasan's execution, set for December 3 at Fort Hood in Texas, where he killed 13 people in 2009, would mark the first execution by a U.S. military firing squad since 1945.

Trump stated that while streaming the execution might deter potential terrorists, many would prefer not to watch the event. The execution would still occur as planned by a firing squad, but it would not be livestreamed. The families of the victims could choose to attend the in-person viewing if they desired, to witness justice being served.

Some of Trump's Republican colleagues, including Vice President JD Vance, along with religious leaders and international observers, raised concerns about the decision to livestream the execution. Recent polls indicated that a majority of Americans opposed this plan. Hasan, a former US Army psychiatrist, received the death penalty in August 2013 after being found guilty of 45 counts of premeditated murder and attempted premeditated murder.

Twelve of the 13 victims were soldiers, and he sustained severe injuries, becoming partially paralyzed and wheelchair-bound, during his arrest. The shooting occurred just weeks before Hasan was to be deployed to Afghanistan. In accordance with U.S. military law, President Donald Trump had to approve the execution by firing squad, which was granted based on Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's recommendation, according to the Pentagon.