Gov. Sherrill raises concerns over Fort Hood shooter’s planned execution; Trump cancels livestream
NEW JERSEY — Gov. Mikie Sherrill criticized the Trump administration’s plans for a televised execution of convicted Fort Hood shooter Nidal Malik Hasan, raising concerns about the use of a military firing squad and the potential psychological impact on service members ordered to participate.
President Donald Trump announced Thursday, Oct. 15, that the Pentagon would no longer livestream the execution following bipartisan criticism, according to The Associated Press.
The execution remains scheduled for Dec. 3 at Fort Hood in Texas, with immediate family members of the victims permitted to attend in person.
Hasan, a former Army psychiatrist, was convicted in the Nov. 5, 2009, shooting at Fort Hood that killed 13 people and wounded more than 30 others. He was sentenced to death in 2013.
In her statement, Sherrill, a Navy veteran, criticized the plans to televise the execution and expressed concern about the psychological effects on military personnel assigned to carry it out.
“There has been a lot of discussion about Hegseth’s plan to publicly execute Nidal Hasan, but not enough about what this means. Nidal Hasan killed 13 innocent soldiers and deserves to be brought to justice. But a televised public spectacle of an execution is contrary to the values that this nation stands for and that I took oaths to protect. It is hard to understand how Congress has not called an emergency session to block it,” Sherrill said.
Sherrill also raised concerns about the use of a military firing squad, noting that most veterans are unfamiliar with the practice because the military has not used one in more than 80 years.
She said younger service members could feel obligated to follow orders despite personal or moral objections, potentially leaving them with lasting psychological trauma.
“I think about my own kids serving in the military, and I imagine a young service member getting detailed to the firing squad, feeling they have to follow orders despite any moral objection or personal opposition. Just about anyone who has served in combat can tell you about the toll it takes. This is different and worse: firing on someone for the public spectacle of it,” Sherrill said.
According to The Associated Press, Trump’s decision to cancel the livestream followed criticism from Republicans and Democrats over the decision to publicly broadcast the execution.
Trump said broadcasting the execution could have served as a deterrent but acknowledged that many people did not want to watch someone die.
Although the livestream has been canceled, the execution by firing squad remains scheduled.
Sherrill also criticized Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, accusing them of prioritizing a display of toughness over the well-being of military personnel.
The governor did not explicitly call for Hasan’s death sentence to be overturned, instead focusing her criticism on the public broadcast and the impact of using a military firing squad.
“I imagine the young person getting detailed to the firing squad and doing their duty, following their orders. And I think of the lasting impact that will have on them. I just wish the two men in charge of our military cared half as much about the men and women who serve as they do about themselves,” Sherrill said.
