US President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that the execution of Fort Hood gunman Nidal Hasan would not be livestreamed, but the victims’ immediate family members would be allowed to witness it in person if they chose to do so.“He (Hasan) will die, as scheduled, by firing squad, but this event will not be livestreamed. The execution may be witnessed in person by the immediate families of the victims, if they so choose. They deserve to witness JUSTICE!” Trump posted on his Truth Social platform, referring to the November 5, 2009, shooting at the US Army’s Fort Hood base in Texas.Former US Army Major Hasan is scheduled to be executed by firing squad on December 3. Trump described him as a “very bad and evil man” in his post.“Nidal Malik Hasan is a very bad and evil man, who killed 13 people, including a pregnant soldier, who died, along with her unborn son, and injured, very seriously, 32 more innocent people,” Trump wrote.“With all of that being said, I think streaming the execution for all to see might have been a strong deterrent for the World to witness how America deals with Terrorists and SCUM like Hasan but, many very good and well meaning people would not rather watch die, through streaming, or through any other visual device,” he added.US defence secretary Pete Hegseth had announced earlier this month that Hasan’s execution would be public. Subsequent confirmation from the Pentagon that it would be livestreamed drew significant backlash from both Republicans and Democrats, with critics warning that the footage could be used to fuel radicalisation.
What happened at Fort Hood
Hasan, an Army psychiatrist who held the rank of major, walked into a medical building on November 5, 2009, where soldiers were waiting in long lines to receive immunisations and medical clearance for deployment. He opened fire with a laser-sighted handgun. He also shot at the backs of soldiers fleeing toward the parking lot.Hasan claimed it was an effort to stop them from going to Afghanistan, where he would have to kill his fellow Muslims. A military judge barred him from presenting that as a defence during his 2013 trial. Hasan was left paralysed from the waist down after being shot in the back by law enforcement, and he now uses a wheelchair.Hasan could seek a lengthy delay of his execution, though given his behaviour at trial, he may not want to.The US military hasn’t executed a service member by firing squad since World War II. The last US service member was executed on April 13, 1961, when Army Pvt. John Bennett was executed by hanging.(With AP inputs)