Pentagon Confirms Firing Squad Execution of Fort Hood Attacker Will Be Livestreamed

Published October 09, 2026 • By Naeemofficial782

The Pentagon has confirmed that the execution of the 2009 Fort Hood shooter will be carried out by firing squad on December 3 — and the proceeding will be livestreamed to the public.

Nidal Malik Hasan, a former U.S. Army major and psychiatrist, was convicted of killing 13 people and wounding 32 others in a shooting rampage at the Texas military base on November 5, 2009. It remains the deadliest non-combat mass shooting on an American military installation.

"People Need to Understand There Are Serious Consequences"

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, speaking to the conservative outlet Real America's Voice News, confirmed the execution would be made "public."

"We'll make sure that people are able to watch it, that it's public," Hegseth said. "Because people need to understand that there's serious consequences for these types of things."

Hegseth stated the execution will take place at Fort Hood on December 3 at 1 p.m., deliberately chosen to mirror the approximate time, day, and location of the original shooting. "It's a no-brainer," he said.

When asked whether Hasan had made any final requests, Hegseth replied bluntly: "Don't care. We'll see him on December 3rd."

The Attack

Hasan walked into a medical building at Fort Hood where soldiers were preparing for deployment to Afghanistan and Iraq. According to trial testimony, he shouted "Allahu akbar" — Arabic for "God is greater" — and opened fire with a laser-sighted handgun.

During his court-martial, it was revealed that Hasan spent weeks planning the attack. He videotaped a store clerk demonstrating how to change the pistol's magazine and practiced rapid reloading at a gun range outside Austin. Soldiers later testified that his speed made it nearly impossible to stop the shooting. Investigators recovered 146 shell casings inside the building and dozens more outside.

Hasan later said the attack was an effort to stop U.S. troops from going to Afghanistan and killing Muslims. He made almost no effort to defend himself at trial, telling jurors that evidence would show he was the shooter and describing himself as a soldier who had "switched sides."

He was convicted in August 2013 and sentenced to death by a military jury. Under military law, a death sentence requires presidential approval before it can be carried out. President Donald Trump approved the execution earlier this week.

Unprecedented in Modern Times

If carried out as planned, the execution would mark the first military execution by firing squad since 1945, when Pvt. Eddie D. Slovik was executed during World War II. The last U.S. military execution of any kind occurred in 1961, when Army Pvt. John Bennett was hanged.

A livestreamed execution would be unprecedented in the modern era. The last public execution in the United States occurred in 1936. Most executions are witnessed only by a limited group including attorneys, family members of victims, and select media representatives.

Legal experts have raised concerns about the decision. Eugene R. Fidell, a Yale Law School lecturer specializing in military law, called it "really unfortunate."

"To livestream an execution is just so out of the Middle Ages," Fidell said.

John Mills, an attorney who works with death row inmates, told the BBC the decision is "unprecedented in the modern era" and "on uncertain legal terrain." He noted that Hasan's appellate process is not over and he is likely to seek review in federal court, which would stay the execution. Mills said he would be surprised if the execution happens as scheduled.

What Happens Next

Hasan, now 56 and partially paralyzed from gunshot wounds sustained during his arrest, remains incarcerated at the U.S. Disciplinary Barracks at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. He is one of four men currently on the military's death row.

The Pentagon has not specified where or how the livestream will be accessible. Most major social media platforms have policies restricting or prohibiting the livestreaming of violent content, leaving the logistics of the broadcast uncertain.

This is a developing story. We will update as more information becomes available.