Fort Hood survivor expresses mixed feelings about execution of shooter Nidal Hasan

<p>Julia Wilson, a survivor of the 2009 Fort Hood shooting, expressed her desire for the mass shooter, Nidal Hasan, to be executed, stating she wishes he could be killed once for each life taken that day. However, she has concerns regarding the military's decision to livestream his execution, scheduled for December 3, 2026.</p><p>Hasan, who is currently 56 years old, was sentenced to death on August 28, 2013, after a military court-martial found him guilty of killing 13 people and injuring 32 others during the shooting at a soldier readiness center on November 5, 2009. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced earlier this month that the execution would be available for public streaming.</p><p>Wilson, a former Defense Department civilian employee, stated, "Why would people want to see that?" She expressed her wish to attend the execution to confront Hasan, saying, "I may have been your victim that day, but I'm not your victim anymore. I survived you. My child survived you, a lot of us survived you. You didn't do as much damage as you thought you were going to."</p><p>While Wilson supports the execution, she is apprehensive about the public broadcast. She fears it could expose children to violence, recalling the traumatic memories of the shooting. "Unfortunately, some children may end up seeing that, that don't need to see something like that," she said.</p><p>Wilson's concerns are shared by some lawmakers. Senator Thom Tillis, R-N.C., criticized the decision to livestream the execution, stating, "Hasan should face the death penalty, but making his execution public and streaming it? Beyond disgusting. Public executions are what oppressive dictatorships like Iran and Afghanistan do. It should not be happening in America."</p><p>Former President Donald Trump stated he would decide whether to allow the livestream, acknowledging the military's preference. Vice President J.D. Vance also expressed uncertainty about the livestreaming of the execution.</p><p>Wilson conveyed her mixed feelings about the execution, saying, "Yes, I'm glad that it's moving forward. No, I…don't ever want to see another human being die." She emphasized that while she supports the death penalty, it does not bring full justice to the victims.</p><p>Wilson criticized the federal government for classifying the Fort Hood shooting as "workplace violence" instead of domestic terrorism, stating, "We've been betrayed by the government for 17 years." She has written to Trump urging for the reclassification of the shooting as an act of domestic terrorism, asserting that healing cannot begin until there is full justice.</p>