Pentagon Plans to Livestream Firing Squad Execution of Fort Hood Shooter Nidal Hasan

The U.S. Department of Defense intends to livestream the firing-squad execution of Nidal Malik Hasan, the former Army major convicted of killing 13 people and wounding 32 others at Fort Hood in 2009. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed the plan in interviews this week, stating that the public should be able to watch.

Hasan’s execution is scheduled for 1 p.m. local time on 3 December at Fort Hood, the same base and roughly the same hour as the 2009 shooting. Hegseth told interviewer Jack Posobiec that Hasan would face a firing squad of soldiers and that the event would be made public “because people need to understand that there’s serious consequences for these types of things.” A Pentagon official later clarified that the execution would be livestreamed.

The decision marks the first military execution in more than 65 years and the first firing-squad execution by the U.S. military since 1945. It would also be the first government-sanctioned execution in the United States to be broadcast live on the internet in the modern era. Public executions ceased in the country nearly a century ago.

Vice President JD Vance said Friday that he was unsure the livestream would actually occur and that he would not watch it if it did. President Trump told reporters that the administration would make a final determination. FCC Chair Brendan Carr indicated the event would not appear on broadcast television but deferred to Hegseth on other distribution methods.

Hasan was convicted in 2013 of 45 counts of premeditated murder and attempted murder. Evidence presented at trial showed he had been radicalised. He represented himself. The death sentence was approved by Trump earlier this week on Hegseth’s recommendation. Hasan retains the right to further federal-court appeals.

The announcement produced immediate criticism from both Democratic and Republican figures as well as from survivors and legal observers. Some described the plan as medieval or disturbing. Others questioned the legal basis for a public military execution and the practical arrangements for a livestream. A survivor who was shot seven times said he wanted Hasan to know he had failed.

Hegseth made the remarks while aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln. He described the choice of a firing squad as a “no-brainer” and said the timing would match the hour of the original attack. When asked whether Hasan had made any final requests or contacted the administration, Hegseth replied that he did not care.

The United States has not carried out a public execution since the 1930s. Military executions have been conducted privately. Legal experts noted that a livestream would place the event on uncertain legal terrain regarding both military justice procedures and federal broadcasting rules. No detailed protocol for camera placement, delays or restrictions has been released.

Pope Leo issued a statement declaring the death penalty inadmissible in the context of the U.S. plans. The remarks added an international religious dimension to the domestic debate. Advocacy groups that oppose capital punishment highlighted the contrast with recent botched lethal-injection attempts in state prisons.

Fort Hood, now known as Fort Cavazos in some official references, remains an active installation. Conducting the execution on the same ground as the 2009 attack is intended, according to Hegseth, to underscore accountability. Local officials in Texas have not publicly detailed security arrangements for the date.

The 2009 shooting was carried out by Hasan, then a psychiatrist, inside a processing centre. Thirteen service members and one civilian were killed. The attack was later classified as an act of terrorism. Hasan was wounded by civilian police and has been confined since his conviction.

Trump has previously criticised public executions in other countries. The current plan therefore represents a departure from earlier statements. Administration officials have framed the firing squad and the public element as a response to the severity of the crime and as a deterrent message.

Bipartisan members of Congress have requested briefings on the legal authorities being invoked. Some have asked whether the livestream complies with existing military regulations that have historically limited attendance at executions. The Pentagon has referred most operational questions to the Army.

Acting Secretary of the Army Adam Telle set the 3 December date. Additional logistical details, including whether any spectators will be present in person and how the livestream feed will be distributed, have not been published. Hegseth has said soldiers will form the firing squad.

The episode occurs against a broader administration push to resume and accelerate federal executions and to expand the range of methods available. Firing squads, nitrogen hypoxia and electrocution have all been discussed in recent months. Hasan’s case is the first military death sentence to reach this stage under the current term.

Survivors and families of the 2009 victims have expressed mixed views. Some support the death sentence; others have focused on the manner of its proposed execution. One veteran told interviewers that watching the event would not bring closure. The administration has not scheduled meetings with victims’ families specifically about the livestream.

As of Saturday the White House had not issued a definitive public confirmation that the livestream will proceed. Vance’s comments introduced uncertainty. Hegseth’s statements and the Pentagon’s clarification remain the clearest official indications that the execution is intended to be viewable by the public online.

The plan, if carried out, would set a precedent for how the United States conducts and publicises military capital punishment. Legal challenges are expected before the December date. The combination of a firing squad, the original crime scene and a livestream has already generated sustained domestic and international attention.