The Pentagon says the firing squad execution of Nidal Hasan, the former Army psychiatrist who killed 13 people at Fort Hood in 2009, will be livestreamed. According to CBS News, a Pentagon official confirmed the plan on Thursday, October 8, after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the execution would be public. It would be the military's first execution since 1961.

What Officials Said

Hegseth told Jack Posobiec on Real America's Voice, "We'll make sure that people are able to watch it, that it's public." He said the execution will take place at Fort Hood, Texas, on December 3 at 1 p.m. Central Time. That matches the approximate day of the week, time and location of the 2009 attack. He called the choice of timing a "no-brainer." Pentagon officials later clarified that the execution would be livestreamed and said more details would follow. Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said earlier this week that President Donald Trump had approved the execution.

Who Is Nidal Hasan?

  • He is a former Army major and psychiatrist who opened fire at the Soldier Readiness Center at Fort Hood on November 5, 2009.
  • The attack killed 13 people and wounded 32.
  • A military jury convicted him in 2013 on 13 counts of premeditated murder and 32 counts of attempted premeditated murder, and sentenced him to death.
  • His final appeal was rejected in April 2025.
  • He is on military death row at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, one of four people there.

What Is Still Unclear

The Pentagon has not said where the stream will be hosted, though it currently posts videos on X and YouTube. The Army has not shared how it plans to carry out the execution. As Axios reports, it is also unclear whether "public" means open to spectators, a broadcast or a stream available to selected viewers. The Pentagon declined to comment further on Hegseth's remarks, and the White House referred questions to it.

Why It Matters

The US has not held a public execution in 90 years. The last was in Owensboro, Kentucky, on August 14, 1936. The plan raises legal, ethical and logistical questions about showing an execution to the public. The Pentagon originally categorized the 2009 attack as "workplace violence," a decision that drew criticism from lawmakers and victims' families.

Key Takeaways

  • Hasan's firing squad execution is set for December 3 at Fort Hood.
  • The Pentagon says it will be livestreamed, but has not said how.
  • It would be the first US military execution since 1961.