Victim's Daughter Slams Plan to Livestream Fort Hood Shooter's Execution

The daughter of one of the 13 victims of the 2009 Fort Hood shooting has sharply criticized a proposal to livestream the execution of the shooter, Nidal Malik Hasan. Keely Cahill Vanacker stated that the plan, reportedly approved by President Donald Trump, is a "tragedy turning into entertainment" and has nothing to do with justice.

Hasan, a former Army Major, was sentenced to death for the 2009 massacre where he killed 13 people and wounded 20 others. Pete Hegseth announced Thursday that Trump had approved his proposal for a public execution by firing squad to be broadcast live.

Vanacker, whose father Michael Cahill was among those killed, learned of the plan from her son via social media. "I can't imagine with social media how horrific it would be and how widespread it would be," she said, speaking on CNN. "This does not bring anyone's family back. Livestreaming isn't closure for any of us."

She added that the families she has spoken with find the decision "bizarre" and that those seeking closure are not interested in a public spectacle. Vanacker also noted that neither the administration nor the Pentagon had contacted her family about the execution.

The proposal has drawn widespread criticism. Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski called the decision "gruesome" and stated there was "no need to livestream any execution." Senator Thom Tillis echoed this sentiment, calling public executions "what oppressive dictatorships like Iran and Afghanistan do" and that "It should not be happening in America." Senator Kevin Cramer expressed concern that a livestream could fuel further radicalization.

President Trump has stated that he has not made a final decision on the livestreaming aspect, saying "by showing it, maybe other people won’t be doing what he did." He described Hasan as a "vicious killer" who murdered people "in cold blood."

Democrat Jon Ossoff criticized Hegseth, calling him "a deeply unwell person who seems to relish this kind of brutality" and accusing him of staging an "obscene medieval spectacle." The UN human rights office also stated that broadcasting an execution "is tantamount to a public execution and would breach the absolute prohibition of torture."

Hasan's motivation for the attack was his belief that soldiers were deploying to engage in an illegal war. He is currently scheduled to be executed by firing squad on December 3.

Hegseth had previously argued on a podcast that a public execution was necessary "because people need to understand that there’s serious consequences for these types of things." He also suggested the firing squad method was a return to tactics used by the U.S. Army in World War II.