A human rights lawyer has called on social media companies to limit who can watch the public execution of an American mass shooter. 

In 2009, Nidal Hasan shot dead 13 members of the US Army at Fort Hood in Texas in a crowded medical building, where he worked as a psychiatrist. 

It was the deadliest mass shooting on a military base in US history and Hasan was convicted of 45 counts of premeditated murder and attempted premeditated murder on 23rd August 2013. Five days later, he was sentenced to death. 

Now, US President Trump has authorised his execution by firing squad and the administration has indicated that it will be livestreamed. 

The announcement came just days after the failed execution of Christa Pike, who survived two lethal injections in Tennessee; she is now concious and talking once again.

When asked about the failure to kill her, President Trump said he believes that executions "shouldn't be very difficult".

On The Claire Byrne Show, human rights lawyer Noeline Blackwell said there is a risk that the execution will be seen by people who could be deeply impacted by it. 

“Social media companies need to take extraordinarily clear steps to ensure that vulnerable people, including children, do not have access to this content,” she explained.

“Now, whether they will do that or not is another thing. 

“But it is a real danger that this will just go out around the world.”

Correct.

— Pete Hegseth (@PeteHegseth) October 8, 2026

When asked about the loved ones of those Hasan murdered in 2009, Ms Blackwell said many victims do not support the death penalty and that executions often force them to dwell on the most traumatic time of their lives.

“Many victims get no pleasure out of it, get no satisfaction out of it, get no closure out of it,” she said. 

“You're not doing anything for the victims by reducing the court process to a public spectacle - that is just not going to help victims in any way whatsoever.”

Main image: Nidal Malik Hasan. Picture by: Alamy.com.