The daughter of a Fort Hood shooting victim has condemned the proposed livestreamed execution of Nidal Malik Hasan, saying the plan would turn a tragedy into entertainment rather than deliver justice.
Keely Cahill Vanacker’s father, Michael Cahill, was among 13 people killed by Hasan at Fort Hood in 2009. She said she learned that the former Army major could be executed in public from her son, who had seen the claim in an Instagram reel.
“This is becoming a tragedy turning into entertainment,” Ms Vanacker said in a CNN interview. “And I can’t imagine with social media how horrific it would be and how widespread it would be.”
Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth announced a proposal for Hasan to be put to death by firing squad in a live broadcast, saying the public nature of the execution would show there were “serious consequences” for such crimes.
Ms Vanacker said the proposal had nothing to do with justice and would not provide closure for the families of those killed.
“This does not bring anyone’s family back. Livestreaming isn’t closure for any of us,” she said.
She added that while she could not speak for all the victims’ relatives, those she had spoken to regarded the idea as bizarre. Some families wanted Hasan executed, she said, but did not support broadcasting his death.
“Several of those that I’ve talked to — like, those who are prepared and ready and want this execution for their closure — livestreaming is just something that is not even on their radar of what they think is okay,” she said.
Ms Vanacker also said that neither the Trump administration nor the Pentagon had contacted her or her family about the execution, as prosecutors typically do when a death sentence is to be carried out.
Hasan was convicted in 2013 of 13 counts of premeditated murder and 32 counts of attempted murder. He told officers he had targeted soldiers preparing to deploy to Afghanistan because they were “going to engage in an illegal war”.
He was left paralysed after exchanging gunfire with police at the military base. His execution by firing squad is scheduled for December 3.
President Donald Trump initially backed a public execution, saying Hasan “deserves it”, but later said he had not made a final decision on whether the death would be livestreamed.
“There are two thoughts: don’t show it and show it,” Mr Trump said. “Cause you know, by showing it, maybe other people won’t be doing what he did.”
The proposal has drawn criticism from members of both parties. Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski called it a “gruesome decision” and said there was “no need to livestream any execution, including this one”.
Senator Thom Tillis, another Republican, said public executions were what “oppressive dictatorships like Iran and Afghanistan do”, adding that the broadcast would be “beyond disgusting”. Senator Kevin Cramer said it could contribute to further radicalisation.
The UN human rights office said broadcasting the killing would amount to a public execution and breach the absolute prohibition on torture.
Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff accused Mr Hegseth of staging an “obscene medieval spectacle” and said the Defence Secretary appeared to “relish this kind of brutality”.
