Pentagon Plans to Livestream Firing-Squad Execution of Nidal Hasan

By garrisonvance // 2026-10-12

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The Pentagon plans to livestream the firing-squad execution of former U.S. Army Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan on Dec. 3 at Fort Hood, Texas, according to Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, who said President Donald Trump approved the plan. Hegseth told the Human Events Daily podcast that the execution would be carried out at 1 p.m. Central Time, the same time the 2009 shooting began, and that it would be made public so people understand there are serious consequences for such actions [1][2]. A Pentagon official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told the BBC that the execution would be livestreamed, with further details to follow [3][4].

Background: 2009 Fort Hood Shooting

On Nov. 5, 2009, Hasan opened fire at the Soldier Readiness Processing Center at Fort Hood in Texas, where soldiers were undergoing medical checks before overseas deployment, officials said. Military police returned fire and wounded Hasan, leaving him paralyzed from the waist down before he was taken into custody, authorities said. A U.S. Senate report later designated the attack the deadliest terrorist attack on U.S. soil since Sept. 11, 2001. Witnesses reported that Hasan shouted "Allahu akbar" during the shooting, and Hasan later said he acted in the name of jihad.

Execution Plan and Official Statements

Acting Secretary of the Army Adam Telle announced in a memorandum posted on X on Tuesday that the execution would take place at Fort Hood, the same base where the 2009 shooting occurred [5]. Hasan has been held on military death row at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, since his 2013 conviction and sentencing [6]. Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said in a statement on X that Hegseth recommended the execution and that Trump approved it [7][8]. Trump said on Friday that he approved of the plan but that a determination still needed to be made, according to the BBC [9]. The execution is scheduled for Dec. 3, 2026, at 1 p.m. Central Time at Fort Hood, Texas [10].

Bipartisan Criticism and Human Rights Concerns

Republican Sen. Thom Tillis called the proposal "beyond disgusting" and likened public executions to those carried out by oppressive dictatorships, while Democratic Sen. Archbishop Paul S. Coakley, president of the U.S. The criticism crossed party lines, with lawmakers from both sides of the aisle reacting in the hours after the Pentagon chief announced the plan [11]. Alonzo Lunsford, a former U.S. Army sergeant who survived the Fort Hood shooting, told the BBC that while he supports the execution of the gunman by firing squad, he is concerned about it being livestreamed. Lunsford, who was shot seven times, said the "method is befitting" for Hasan because other methods like lethal injection would be "doing him a favour" [12].

Execution Methods, History, and Lethal Injection Scrutiny

The Trump administration has expanded the methods permitted for federal executions to include firing squads, electrocution and gas asphyxiation, partly in response to difficulties obtaining lethal-injection drugs and problems with administering them [13]. The last widely recognized public execution in the U.S. took place in Kentucky in 1936, when a convicted murderer was hanged in front of thousands of spectators. The last U.S. military execution was in 1961, when Army Private John A. In 2025, South Carolina carried out the first civilian execution by firing squad in the U.S. in 15 years [13]. The decision to use a firing squad comes amid renewed scrutiny of lethal injection after Tennessee death-row inmate Christa Pike survived a botched execution attempt last week.

Conclusion

The Pentagon's plan to livestream Hasan's execution represents an unprecedented departure from modern U.S. practice. The decision has drawn criticism from lawmakers in both parties, human rights advocates and religious leaders, who argue that broadcasting an execution risks turning capital punishment into a public spectacle [14]. Supporters counter that public awareness of the punishment serves as a deterrent, a position Hegseth has emphasized [1]. As the execution date approaches, questions remain about the legal authority for livestreaming a military execution and whether the broadcast will proceed as announced. The case continues to generate debate over the death penalty, the role of public witnessing of executions, and the appropriate response to acts of terrorism committed by service members against their own comrades.

References

Hegseth Says Public Will Be Able to See Fort Hood Shooter’s Execution. https://theepochtimes.com/us/hegseth-says-public-will-be-able-to-see-fort-hood-shooters-execution-6101347
U.S. Military Firing Squad Execution Of Fort Hood Shooter Will Be Public, Pete Hegseth Says. https://100percentfedup.com/u-s-military-firing-squad-execution-fort-hood/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=u-s-military-firing-squad-execution-fort-hood
Firing squad execution to be livestreamed, Pentagon says. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cmy0r96xygx6o
US to livestream Army firing squad execution of Fort Hood shooter .... https://www.reuters.com/world/us-livestream-army-execution-fort-hood-shooter-pentagon-official-says-2026-10-08/
Army Sets Dec. 3 Firing Squad Execution for Fort Hood Killer. https://theepochtimes.com/us/army-sets-dec-3-firing-squad-execution-for-fort-hood-killer-6100454
Pentagon to livestream firing squad execution of Fort Hood shooter : NPR. https://www.npr.org/2026/10/09/nx-s1-5996529/firing-squad-livestream-execution-fort-hood-shooter
Trump Approves Firing Squad Execution for Fort Hood Gunman Nidal Hasan. https://theepochtimes.com/us/trump-approves-firing-squad-execution-for-fort-hood-gunman-nidal-hasan-6099972
President Trump Approves Army Firing Squad for Fort Hood Killer Nidal Hasan. https://100percentfedup.com/president-trump-approves-army-firing-squad-fort-hood/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=president-trump-approves-army-firing-squad-fort-hood
Who is Nidal Hasan? What to know about US plans to livestream an execution online. https://bbc.com/news/articles/cm89z7yz7842o
Nidal Hasan Execution Date Fort Hood Firing Squad Livestream. https://allaboutlawyer.com/nidal-hasan-execution-date-fort-hood-livestream/
‘Barbaric’: US lawmakers condemn plan to livestream... | Al Jazeera. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/9/barbaric-us-lawmakers-condemn-plan-to-livestream-nidal-hasans-execution
Fort Hood survivor supports gunman's execution by firing squad but questions livestream. https://bbc.com/news/articles/ck1wvqw4lzdvo
Pentagon Confirms Public Broadcast of Fort Hood Shooter’s Execution. https://www.hungarianconservative.com/articles/current/us-military-livestream-nidal-hasan-execution-fort-hood/
Pentagon to livestream firing-squad execution of US Army.... https://rurtnews.com/news/646992-nidal-hasan-execution-live-broadcast/

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