N.J.’s Sherrill calls Fort Hood shooter ‘guy who’s in a wheelchair,’ rips firing squad
by George Caldwell · The Washington TimesNew Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill on Friday denounced the planned firing squad execution of the Fort Hood killer, whom she called “this guy who’s in a wheelchair.”
The Democrat appeared on MS NOW to take issue with gunning down Nidal Hasan, a former Army major who massacred 13 people at the Texas base in 2009, an attack motivated by Islamic extremism.
“I think the thing, as I keep thinking about it, that just keeps breaking my heart — imagine the 20-year-old, imagine maybe the 18-year-old that stepped up to serve and gets orders that says you’re going to go shoot this guy who’s in a wheelchair,” she said.
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President Trump has called off plans to livestream the planned Dec. 3 execution.
Hasan has been paralyzed from the waist down since being shot by police officers responding to the Nov. 5 carnage of 17 years ago. Besides the 13 deaths, Hasan wounded more than 30 others.
“Imagine feeling like I don’t know what to do here,” she said. “I think there are going to be people receiving these orders to the firing squad who are going to, for the rest of their lives now, have to carry that burden.”
Ms. Sherrill served in the Navy before serving in the House and being elected governor last November.
She said the administration was “trying to create some pageantry around something that should never be treated like that.”
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Although it will no longer be livestreamed, Mr. Trump said on social media, “The execution may be viewed in person by the immediate families of the victims if they so choose. They deserve to witness JUSTICE!”
Recent polling from The Washington Post found a 53% majority of U.S. adults supported Mr. Hasan’s execution by firing squad. However, 80% said his execution should not be livestreamed.
The U.S. military has not executed anyone by firing squad since 1945.
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George Caldwell
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