Julia Wilson, a survivor of the 2009 Fort Hood massacre, supports the scheduled execution of Nidal Hasan but opposes the military's plan to livestream the event. Wilson told Fox News Digital that while she wants to attend the execution to look Hasan in the eye, she is shocked by the decision to broadcast his death to the public.
Hasan, 56, is scheduled to face execution by firing squad on Dec. 3, 2026. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced earlier this month that the execution will be made available to stream to the public. On Saturday, President Donald Trump stated he will make the final decision on whether the execution is livestreamed, acknowledging he knows what the military would like to do. Vice President J.D. Vance said on Friday that he was unsure if the federal government would proceed with the livestream and added that he would not personally view it.
Wilson described her mixed feelings about the execution, saying she is glad it is moving forward but does not want to see another human being die. She expressed concern that broadcasting the execution could expose children to graphic violence, recalling that she has struggled to erase the memory of soldiers being murdered since the attack occurred nearly 17 years ago. She noted that some children might be forced to witness an event they should not have to see.
Wilson was working at Fort Hood's Soldier Readiness Processing Center when Hasan opened fire on Nov. 5, 2009. At the time, she was nine months pregnant and had reached her due date. Hasan, an Army psychiatrist, killed 13 people and wounded 32 others. Following a military court-martial verdict, Hasan was sentenced to death on Aug. 28, 2013. President Trump approved the death sentence on Oct. 2.
Lawmakers have also raised objections to the public nature of the execution. Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., posted to X on Thursday that while Hasan should face the death penalty, streaming the execution is "beyond disgusting." Tillis stated that public executions are associated with oppressive dictatorships and should not happen in America.
Wilson criticized the federal government for classifying the 2009 shooting as "workplace violence" rather than an act of domestic terrorism. She said the government has betrayed victims for 17 years by prioritizing political correctness and rights over justice for those murdered and injured. Wilson has written a letter to President Trump calling for the shooting to be reclassified as domestic terrorism, stating that healing cannot start until the situation is fully rectified.