Fort Hood Survivors Express Mixed Feelings on Execution Livestream

Two survivors of the 2009 Fort Hood shooting have expressed complex emotions following the Pentagon's decision to livestream the execution of the former Army psychiatrist who killed 13 people and wounded 32 others. The execution of Nidal Hasan is scheduled for Dec. 3 and will be carried out by eight military service members, marking the first military execution since 1961 and the first by firing squad since 1945.

Alonzo Lunsford, who was shot seven times during the attack, plans to attend Hasan's execution and stated his desire to "lock eyes" with the gunman in his final moments. "I want him to be able to look at my eyes and to let him understand I won't be defeated, can't be defeated. I am no longer a victim, his victim. I am a survivor," Lunsford said. He also supports the firing squad method, saying, "It's how he shot us." However, Lunsford voiced reservations about livestreaming the execution to the public, suggesting it should be accessible only to survivors and victims' families. He expressed concern that the event could be perceived as a spectacle, stating, "I don't want this to be viewed upon as a spectacle, like a pay-per-view event, or like going to a basketball tournament." Lunsford believes the U.S. should set a moral standard for the world, not lower its own.

Dayna Ferguson Roscoe, who was shot three times in the arm, shoulder, and thigh, found the livestream decision unexpected but noted that death and war have historically been documented. "It's not completely shocking, given that death and war have historically always been documented through photographs and video. But it's just not something I expected to hear," Roscoe said. She added that the decision does not change the outcome for Hasan and that she is focused on being alive after the incident.

The Pentagon's decision has drawn criticism from some lawmakers. Rep. Austin Scott, R-Ga., a member of the House Armed Services Committee, likened the livestreaming of executions to tactics used by terrorist groups. "I absolutely support the sentence of death, but live-streaming executions is what jihadists do. America is better than that," Scott posted on X.

Rep. Adam Smith, the ranking Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, also condemned the plan, stating that livestreaming an execution "makes a mockery of our legal system." He added, "We are a democratic country and should take the rule of law seriously, not turn it into a spectacle."

Hasan, who described the shooting as an act of jihad, was convicted in 2013. The execution marks a significant event in U.S. military justice history.