The Live Streaming Of a Public Execution | With Fort Hood Massacre Survivor Alonzo Lunsford

October 13, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

“The guy wanted to die,” says Damien Echols, who spent 18 years on death row for a crime he didn’t commit. “That’s what people who do things like that want to do. They want to become a martyr. So in a way it’s like you’re giving him what he wants.” Echols was speaking about Nidal Hasan, the U.S. Army psychiatrist who killed 13 people and wounded 32 at Fort Hood in 2009—and whose execution by firing squad, announced by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, is set to be the first public execution in the United States in 90 years, streamed live for the world to watch.

The survivor’s perspective: Alonzo Lunsford

Alonzo Lunsford was shot seven times by Hasan. He is unequivocal that Hasan should be executed—“absolutely”—but he draws a sharp line at making it a spectacle. “This isn’t a type of thing where you pull up and you have a tailgate and you’re gonna watch this man finally paying a price,” he says. His main concern is children: “They can’t physically or mentally process what they’re going to see. They’re going to find some kind of glory or entertainment out of that.” Lunsford acknowledges that no technical restriction can fully prevent the footage from leaking, but argues the government should at least try to limit access. He is also clear about his own intentions: “It’s not that I’m gonna watch it, I’m gonna be there.”

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What you'll learn

1 (00:01) **Opening Argument: Execution and the Spectacle** - Piers Morgan opens with the controversial announcement by War Secretary Pete Hegseth to execute Nidal Hassan by firing squad and livestream it, framing the debate.
2 (02:56) **Introducing the Panel and the Survivor's Voice** - Piers brings in the guests, starting with Alonzo Lunsford, a survivor of the Fort Hood shooting who was shot seven times.
3 (03:26) **Alonzo Lunsford's Stance: Justice, Not Spectacle** - Alonzo Lunsford gives his nuanced view, supporting execution but opposing the public, live-streamed spectacle.
4 (06:48) **Alonzo Confirms He Wants Execution** - Piers clarifies Alonzo's position, confirming he absolutely believes in the death penalty for Hassan.
5 (07:20) **Majarhad Ali: A Moral Debasement** - Majarhad Ali argues the live stream is a "moral debasement" that aligns the US with authoritarian regimes and will fuel anti-Americanism.
6 (09:39) **Andrew Wilson: The Case for Public Justice** - Andrew Wilson argues that the US should not cede the "high moral ground" to terrorists and that the public should see justice served.
7 (14:24) **John Fugelsang: The Christian Hypocrisy Argument** - John Fugelsang argues the live stream is a hypocritical spectacle driven by a "fake Christianity" that ignores the teachings of Jesus.

+ Full timestamped outline available in the app

Guests on this episode

Andrew Wilson

Show Notes

Seventeen years after the Fort Hood massacre, the planned livestream of Nidal Hasan’s execution by firing squad is raising difficult questions about justice, vengeance and the dangers of turning punishment into spectacle.

Hasan, a former US Army psychiatrist, killed 13 people and wounded 32 in the 2009 attack on fellow soldiers at Fort Hood, Texas. Now, War Secretary Pete Hegseth says the execution will be public, marking the first public execution in the United States in 90 years.

Announcing the decision to Jack Posobiec, Hegseth described the firing squad as a demonstration of the consequences of attacking American service members.

But the decision has opened up a wider debate. Could a public execution intended to demonstrate the severity of justice instead give Hasan the notoriety he craves - transforming his death into a spectacle and, in his own eyes, a martyrdom?

After years of condemning the public executions staged and filmed by Islamist terror groups, America now faces an uncomfortable question: what does it achieve by making an execution a global event?

This is the case for justice - and the risks of turning it into a show.

Joining the show to debate is survivor of the Fort Hood shooting, Alonzo Lunsford, host of The Crucible, Andrew Wilson, author of ‘Separation of Church & Hate’, John Fugelsang and host of Democracy-Ish, Wajahat Ali.

Piers Morgan also speaks with host of Drop Dead Serious, Ashleigh Banfield, and wrongly convicted member of the ‘West Memphis Three’, Damien Echols.

(00:00:00) Introduction

(00:03:25) Alonso Lunsford, survivor of the Fort Hood shooting

(00:07:19) Wajahat Ali condemns plan for a “public spectacle”

(00:11:02) Andrew Wilson makes the case for a live streamed execution

(00:14:25) John Fugelsang calls Pete Hegseth 'unchristian'

(00:21:29) Alonso Lunsford on “forgiving” Nidal Hasan

(00:27:58) Wajahat Ali on the botched Christa Pike execution

(00:31:12) Andrew Wilson argues for firing squads

(00:37:27) Pope Leo’s comments

(00:40:20) Alonso Lunsford plans to attend the execution

(00:43:10) Ilhan Omar’s home raided

(00:49:58) Ashleigh Banfield discusses death penalty

(00:57:12) Damien Echols, one of the ‘West Memphis Three’

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