In brief
The US Department of Defense announced a live‑streamed execution by firing squad after the death of military psychiatrist Nidal Hasan, marking the first firing‑squad use since 1945. This move follows a series of botched lethal injections, including a highly publicized failure involving Christa Pike, raising concerns over the humanity of current execution protocols. States are now revisiting older methods such as electric chairs and new controversial techniques like nitrogen gas, while the federal death penalty has been revived under President Trump. The debate centers on the ethics, efficacy, and public perception of these execution methods.
Warning: this story contains upsetting descriptions of executions.
American defence secretary Pete Hegseth announced that the military would livestream the execution by firing squad of former psychiatrist Nidal Hasan, who fatally shot 13 unarmed soldiers in 2009 at Fort Hood. This marks the first firing‑squad execution by the U.S. Army since 1945 and comes amid a growing scramble over execution methods.
Botched lethal injections have prompted scrutiny of the death penalty. The Death Penalty Information Center reports 64 botched executions in the last 50 years, 51 of them lethal‑injection failures, out of 1,683 total. These incidents expose problems with drug quality, staff training and legal protocols.
States are re‑authorising older techniques such as the electric chair and introducing controversial methods like nitrogen gas. Alabama and Louisiana have already executed people with nitrogen, which involves forcing a condemned prisoner to breathe pure nitrogen until suffocation; witnesses have described violent convulsions and scenes resembling a horror show.
President Trump’s return to office in 2025 revitalised the federal death penalty, urging its expansion to confront drug traffickers, human traffickers and violent offenders. Meanwhile, the federal moratorium rolled back in 2021 has been replaced by a renewed focus on execution efficiency.
Experts warn that every method used can result in suffering if flawed. Dr. Joel Zivot notes lethal injections, long considered a “peaceful” method, can cause pulmonary edema and a drowning sensation. Medical associations like the American Medical Association oppose participation in executions, citing ethical obligations to preserve life.
Increased use of firing squads, electrical chairs and gas chambers reflects a complex negotiation between deterrence advocacy and humanitarian concerns, as the United States wrestles with the moral and practical implications of carrying out the death penalty.
