Evangelicals Join Catholics In Condemning Pentagon’s Plan To Livestream Fort Hood Killer’s Execution
A leading evangelical organization joined prominent Catholic leaders in condemning the Pentagon's plans to publicly livestream the firing squad execution of convicted Fort Hood mass shooter Nidal Hasan.
Francis Kapper · Oct 14, 2026 · 3 min read
A leading evangelical organization joined prominent Catholic leaders in condemning the Pentagon’s plans to publicly livestream the firing squad execution of convicted Fort Hood mass shooter Nidal Hasan.
The National Association of Evangelicals (NAE) warned that broadcasting Hasan’s death risks turning military justice into a public spectacle, according to a statement provided to the Daily Caller News Foundation. The criticism follows objections from Catholic bishops, including the archbishop responsible for overseeing the spiritual care of Catholic U.S. military personnel.
“A live-streamed execution by firing squad risks turning one of the state’s most solemn responsibilities into a public spectacle, promoting a culture of death, rather than a culture that upholds the dignity of every human being,” NAE President Walter Kim told the DCNF in a statement provided through the organization.
“We do not and cannot condone Nidal Malik Hasan’s horrific actions, which killed 13 people and injured many others. We affirm the need for justice,” Kim told the DCNF.
Hasan, a former Army psychiatrist, murdered 13 people and wounded 32 others during his Nov. 5, 2009, shooting rampage at Fort Hood, Texas. He is scheduled to be executed by firing squad Dec. 3 at 1 p.m. Central Time, according to the U.S. Army.
The DCNF exclusively reported in September 2025 that the Pentagon was preparing to seek President Donald Trump’s final approval to execute Hasan, citing a Department of War official. The official revealed that Hasan’s execution paperwork was already moving through the military bureaucracy toward presidential review.
The White House did not respond to the DCNF’s request for comment. The Pentagon declined to comment.
Archbishop Paul Coakley, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, similarly condemned the government’s decision to broadcast the execution, calling it a “barbaric promotion of a culture of death” that must be reconsidered, according to an Oct. 9 statement.
Coakley acknowledged the severity of Hasan’s crimes but warned that publicly displaying his death would damage the nation’s moral standing, according to the conference.