Why the US is bringing back firing squads

Pope Leo XIV has condemned the death penalty as "inadmissible," aligning with the Catholic Church's revised doctrine that emphasizes human dignity. This statement comes as the Pentagon plans to livestream the execution of Nidal Malik Hasan, convicted of the 2009 Fort Hood mass shooting. Hasan is scheduled to be executed by firing squad on December 3rd, marking the first such military execution since 1945. Vatican officials and U.S. bishops have also criticized the proposed livestream, calling it a spectacle and incompatible with human dignity. President Trump has not yet decided on the livestream plan, while Vice President Vance expressed skepticism and opposition to public executions.

Australian Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young is urging the federal government to block the planned live stream of Nidal Hasan's execution by firing squad in the US on December 3rd. Hasan, convicted of the 2009 Fort Hood mass shooting, is scheduled for execution, which the Pentagon intends to broadcast. Hanson-Young has written to the communications minister and eSafety commission, calling the broadcast "barbaric" and "abhorrent," and requesting "pre-emptive" action to prevent Australians from viewing it online. While the communications department has advised broadcasters to act responsibly, government sources indicate potential limitations in restricting an ally's legal proceedings. The eSafety commissioner has powers under the Online Safety Act to order platforms to block access to content deemed "refused classification" if it meets specific criteria for violence or abhorrent phenomena.

The US military plans to livestream the firing squad execution of Nidal Hasan, a former Army psychiatrist convicted of killing 13 soldiers at Fort Hood in 2009. This would be the Army's first firing squad execution since 1945. This decision comes amid rising concerns over botched lethal injections, such as the recent failed execution of Christa Pike. In response to these issues and renewed federal support for capital punishment, the US is exploring both new and older execution methods, including firing squads, the electric chair, and gas chambers. Lethal injection, while the most common method since 1982, has a history of complications and perceived inhumanity, leading officials to consider alternatives.

US Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin defended the decision to livestream the execution of Nidal Hasan, the former Army major convicted of the 2009 Fort Hood mass shooting. Mullin downplayed concerns that the livestream could be used as propaganda by violent groups, stating he sees no elevated risk and that viewership is optional. The execution, scheduled for December 3, has drawn widespread criticism from lawmakers who warn it could encourage radicalization and provide martyrdom for Hasan. President Trump has indicated he may reconsider the livestreaming decision. Hasan was sentenced to death for killing 12 unarmed soldiers and a retired serviceman, and injuring 32 others.

President Donald Trump has approved the execution of Nidal Malik Hasan, the former army officer convicted of the 2009 Fort Hood mass shooting. Hasan killed 13 people and wounded 32 others in an attack at an army processing center. The US Army has not carried out an execution since 1961, and death sentences and executions in the military require presidential approval. Hasan, who represented himself and admitted to the attacks, was convicted of premeditated murder in 2013, with jurors recommending the death penalty. His conviction and sentence have been upheld through military appeals, and the Supreme Court denied a review in March 2025. The method of execution has been specified as firing squad by the President.

Nidal Hasan, the former army psychiatrist convicted of killing 13 people at Fort Hood in 2009, is scheduled to be executed by firing squad on December 3rd at Fort Hood, Texas. This will be the first U.S. military execution in over 60 years. Officials clarified that the execution will be livestreamed, making it a public event. Hasan was sentenced to death in 2013 and his appeals have been exhausted, with President Trump approving the execution based on a recommendation. The article notes that investigators found Hasan had exchanged emails with a radical cleric prior to the attack, and at his court-martial, Hasan stated he acted to prevent soldiers from deploying to Afghanistan.

The Pentagon has stated its intention to livestream the execution of the Fort Hood attacker, according to US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth. However, military law requires presidential approval and appellate review before an execution can proceed. The attacker's appellate process is ongoing, and he is expected to seek further review in federal court, which would likely delay the execution. Legal experts note that livestreamed executions have never occurred in the US and question the likelihood of this particular execution happening as described. While some states allow public viewing of executions, a livestream would represent an unprecedented level of transparency regarding the process.

The recent botched execution of Christa Pike in Tennessee has highlighted the frequent mishaps associated with lethal injection, the most common method of capital punishment in the US. Pike's execution was halted on September 30 after two doses of pentobarbital failed to kill her, with witnesses reporting she continued to show signs of life. Experts attribute these failures to the difficulty of performing a precise medical procedure in a prison setting without qualified staff, compounded by pharmaceutical companies restricting drug access and potential health issues of inmates. Governor Bill Lee has ordered a review of the incident, the second such failure in Tennessee this year, raising concerns about the reliability and humanity of lethal injections.

Christa Pike has been discharged from the hospital and returned to the Deborah K Johnson rehabilitation center, where she has been imprisoned for 30 years, following a botched lethal injection execution attempt on September 30th. Her lawyers stated she is continuing to receive medical care at the prison. Pike, 50, was hospitalized after surviving the execution and was briefly declared brain dead before showing signs of recovery. The reason for the failed execution remains unexplained, though experts speculate drug delivery issues or faulty medication. Pike was convicted in 1995 for the torture and murder of 18-year-old Colleen Slemmer. Her survival has drawn renewed criticism of the death penalty, leading Tennessee's governor to pause executions for the remainder of the year.

Alonzo Lunsford, a survivor of the Fort Hood shooting, supports the execution of the gunman by firing squad, believing the method is fitting for the crime. He stated that while he has forgiven the gunman as a Christian, he wants the gunman to see him before the execution to acknowledge his failure. Lunsford expressed concern about the potential impact of livestreaming the execution on younger people but believes survivors and victims' families should have the option to watch. He recounted the gunman's actions on November 5th, describing how he got out of his chair, jumped on a counter, and began firing. Lunsford feels lethal injection would be too lenient a punishment.

The US Pentagon plans to livestream the execution of Nidal Malik Hasan, convicted of killing 13 people at Fort Hood in 2009, on December 3rd. This plan has drawn widespread international condemnation, with critics calling it "barbaric" and comparing the Trump administration to dictatorships. The UN's human rights office warned it would breach the prohibition of torture. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and members of Congress have also spoken out against the idea. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed the livestream, stating the public needs to understand the consequences of such crimes. This execution, if carried out by firing squad, would be the first by the US military since 1945.

Pope Leo XIV has reiterated the Catholic Church's stance that the death penalty is "inadmissible," calling it an "attack on the inviolability and dignity of the person." He stated that the common good and justice can be achieved without capital punishment, citing effective detention systems that allow for redemption. This declaration comes as the United States plans to livestream the execution of Nidal Malik Hasan by firing squad on December 3rd. Hasan was convicted of killing 13 people and wounding 32 at Fort Hood in 2009. The Vatican's Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, previously described the livestreaming plan as "unacceptable." Pope Francis had previously amended Catholic teaching in 2018 to declare capital punishment inadmissible in all circumstances.

Christa Pike survived an attempted execution in Tennessee after executioners struggled to find a vein and administer lethal injection drugs, resulting in her arms swelling and blistering while she remained alive. This marks the first documented instance of a U.S. prisoner surviving two doses of lethal injection. The author, a death row reporter, argues that while Pike's survival was unprecedented, the execution's failures were not, citing issues like the prisoner's medical conditions, potential execution team incompetence, and secrecy surrounding drug sourcing. These factors, the article states, contribute to the risk of botched executions nationwide, as seen in previous incidents in Tennessee and other states. Following the incident, the head of the Tennessee Department of Correction resigned, and the governor ordered a review.

Tennessee officials were unable to execute Christa Pike, who was scheduled to die for a 1995 murder, after a last-minute lethal injection attempt was halted. The US Supreme Court overturned a stay issued by an appeals court, which had sought to consider Pike's claims of childhood sexual abuse. Despite the Supreme Court's decision, witnesses reported Pike snoring loudly for hours after the scheduled execution time, and the Tennessee Department of Correction did not immediately explain why the execution was not completed. Pike, who was 18 when she committed the murder, is the first woman in Tennessee facing execution in at least 200 years.

Tennessee Governor Bill Lee has suspended all executions in the state until at least the end of the year and ordered an independent inquiry following a botched lethal injection attempt on Christa Pike. Witnesses reported that Pike, convicted of murder, was still awake and snoring approximately 40 minutes after receiving two doses of pentobarbital on Wednesday night in Nashville. The Tennessee Department of Correction stated Pike was taken to an off-site medical facility, with her condition unknown. Governor Lee expressed criticism of prison authorities, emphasizing the need for executions to be effective. This incident follows a previous instance in May where another inmate's execution was called off due to difficulties administering lethal injection drugs. Pike was scheduled to be the first woman executed in Tennessee in over 200 years.

Convicted murderer Christa Pike is in hospital receiving life-saving measures after Tennessee authorities failed to execute her by lethal injection. Pike, sentenced to death in 1996 for the murder of Colleen Slemmer, was administered two doses of pentobarbital, which her legal team claims did not stop her heartbeat. The Tennessee Department of Correction has not explained the dosage failure, though medical experts suggest insufficient blood levels of the drug. Governor Bill Lee has ordered a review and postponed the state's last execution of the year. The incident has renewed concerns about botched executions and the suffering of inmates, with authorities yet to state if they will attempt a second execution.

Christa Pike, the only woman on Tennessee's Death Row, is scheduled for execution by lethal injection, marking the state's first female execution in over 200 years. Pike, convicted of torturing and killing a classmate at age 18, has requested execution by an all-female firing squad, citing fears that lethal injection could trigger flashbacks of childhood sexual abuse. Her legal team also argues she has medical conditions that could complicate IV insertion for lethal injection. While her lawyers sought clemency, citing her youth and trauma at the time of the crime, Governor Bill Lee denied the request. Women constitute a small fraction of executions in the United States, and Tennessee has not executed a woman since 1820.

Tennessee prison chief will resign following the failed execution of Christa Pike. Pike survived two lethal injections of pentobarbital on Wednesday at a Tennessee facility, after which she was transported to a Nashville hospital in critical condition. Her lawyers stated she cried out and breathed loudly during the procedure, and she was later found unconscious, intubated, and on a ventilator. The state's Department of Correction defended its protocol, while authorities have not yet indicated if another execution attempt will be made or offered an explanation for the failure. Pike's attorneys had previously raised concerns about her medical history and anatomy posing risks for a lethal injection.

Tennessee's planned execution of Christa Pike, which would have been the state's first female execution in 200 years, was halted by a federal appeals court on Wednesday morning, just an hour before it was scheduled. Pike, convicted of murder 30 years ago, was set to die by lethal injection. The court issued a temporary stay to allow for a proper analysis of the arguments presented. The state attorney general's office stated they will continue to advocate for the sentence and are asking the Supreme Court to lift the stay. Pike was convicted of the 1995 murder of her classmate, Colleen Slemmer, when Pike was 18.

Calls for a moratorium on the US death penalty have intensified after Christa Pike's execution attempt in Tennessee on Wednesday was halted, leaving her in critical condition. Pike was injected with two full syringes of pentobarbital, a dose considered fatal, yet she survived and was found to have a heartbeat and was breathing. Eyewitnesses described her struggling for an hour after the first injection. Lawyers and experts have condemned the event as "unimaginably barbaric" and "cruel and torturous," citing it as a violation of the constitutional prohibition against "cruel and unusual punishment." This incident follows a series of botched executions in other states, raising concerns about the reliability and humanity of capital punishment.

Christa Pike, the only woman on Tennessee's death row, was taken to hospital after two lethal injection doses failed to kill her during her scheduled execution on Wednesday. Pike, convicted of a 1995 murder when she was 18, was to be the first woman executed in Tennessee in over 200 years. Her execution proceeded after a federal appeals court stay was overturned by the Supreme Court just an hour before. Human rights experts have criticized the botched execution, calling it inhumane and a violation of human rights. Pike had previously requested execution by firing squad, citing fears of pain from lethal injection due to her small veins, but this was denied.

Convicted murderer Christa Pike is critically ill and on a ventilator in a Nashville hospital following a failed execution attempt. Her attorneys had previously warned of potential complications due to her medical conditions, including thrombocytosis and small veins, which could lead to pain and suffering during a lethal injection. Lawyers allege that the execution team did not realize the IV lines were improperly placed or that veins ruptured, causing the pentobarbital to enter tissue instead of her bloodstream. An anesthesiologist advising the defense suggested this misadministration is the likely reason for her survival, as the drug level was insufficient to cause death. The defense is requesting the preservation of all related evidence.