She lost her brother at Fort Hood. Now she's speaking out about Nidal Hasan's planned execution.

Lelia Hunt Willingham thought it was a cruel joke when she heard that Fort Hood shooter Nidal Hasan's execution would be public. 

"He can't be serious," she recalled thinking after seeing a video of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth saying Hasan would die by firing squad and that it would be made public. 

"I don't even know if he knows what this man looks like," Willingham said. "He's an old man in a wheelchair." 

Willingham's brother, Army Spc. J.D. Hunt was one of 13 victims killed in the 2009 mass shooting. Hunt, 22, died shortly after pushing several nurses under a desk. He was posthumously awarded the Meritorious Service Medal. 

Willingham doesn't like the thought of Hasan's execution becoming a spectacle. 

"It's becoming a circus again,"  said Willimgham.

And it's not just victims and survivors who are affected, but Hasan's family as well, whom she and another victim met a few years ago. Hasan was raised by his aunt, and his cousin was like a brother to him. 

"When she [Hasan's aunt] opened the door, she had her hands covering her face," said Willingham. "She said that after what he did, 'I can't believe you're here. She told them, 'I can't look at you.'"

Willingham said you could feel her shame. 

Willingham and another family of a Fort Hood victim were welcomed inside Hasan's family home, first at his cousin's house, where they shared baklava, and then at his aunt's home, where she told them, "She couldn't believe he [Hasan] did something like this." 

The encounter brought both peace and closure, but it was Willingham's faith that guided her mercy. 

"I just wish people would think before they speak for the families. Using this [execution] to invoke rage, or some political statement, is not something the families want." 

Willingham and the other victims' families have stayed in touch over the past 17 years. She said she hasn't spoken to all of them about the planned public execution, but has spoken to most. 

"Within all the families, there are different views between viewing it or not. But I've talked to most of them, and we all agree this is something that should be private," said Willingham.

Hasan's execution is set for Dec. 3 at Fort Hood, the site of the shooting. Exact plans for how it will be carried out, beyond the method, haven't been made public. 

President Donald Trump initially voiced support for a livestream, saying he "absolutely" approved of it, but has since said he has yet to make a decision. 

"There are two thoughts: don't show it and show it. Cause you know, by showing it, maybe other people won't be doing what he did. So, I'll make a decision ultimately. I know what the military would like to do, but I'll make a decision," the president told reporters over the weekend. 

Social media quickly lit up with reactions to the proposed livestream. For Willingham and other families, it's personal. 

"People keep saying 'Do this for the families,' and, you know, I want to say, 'You can't speak to what brings us closure,'"  Willingham said.