Alonzo Lunsford, a former US Army sergeant wounded in the 2009 Fort Hood mass shooting, has stated support for executing gunman Nidal Hasan by firing squad while expressing reservations about broadcasting the event live to the public.
Lunsford, who sustained seven gunshot wounds in the attack that killed 13 soldiers, told the BBC that the firing squad method was appropriate given Hasan’s actions. He characterized alternative execution methods such as lethal injection or gas chamber as more lenient than the crime warranted. However, he stated concern about livestreaming the execution for general viewership, noting it should not be treated as entertainment and worried about its potential effect and message to younger audiences.
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth announced that the public would be permitted to watch a livestream of the execution, stating it was important for people to witness the consequences of such crimes. Legal experts indicated the livestream could face court challenges and may not proceed as planned. The execution would mark the first public execution in the United States in nearly a century and the first military execution in over 60 years.
Lunsford said he intends to attend the execution in person and wants Hasan to recognize his survival. He explained that while he has forgiven Hasan on religious grounds as a Christian, he does not view that forgiveness as extending to leniency regarding the execution method. Survivors, their families, and victims’ families should have the ability to witness the execution, Lunsford stated.
Several lawmakers have publicly opposed the livestreaming plan. Democratic Senator Chris Murphy called it “disgusting,” while Republican Senator Thom Tillis characterized public executions as practices of “oppressive dictators” and stated such events should not occur in America.
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