USCCB President Condemns Plans for Livestream of Fort Hood Shooter's Execution as ‘a Barbaric Promotion of a Culture of Death’

Archbishop Paul S. Coakley, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, criticized the U.S. Department of War's decision to livestream the execution of Nidal Hasan. Hasan was convicted for the 2009 attack at Fort Hood, Texas, which killed 13 people and injured 32 others.

In a statement, Coakley described the plan to broadcast the firing squad execution as a barbaric promotion of a culture of death. He stated that while Hasan's actions cannot be condoned, the decision to make the execution public undermines the moral fabric of the nation and harms the conscience of the people. Coakley urged the government to reconsider the decision, citing the biblical exhortation to not repay evil with evil.