The United States military will livestream the execution of Nidal Malik Hasan, the former Army psychiatrist convicted of killing 13 people in a 2009 shooting at Fort Hood, Texas.
The Pentagon confirmed on Thursday, October 8, that Hasan’s execution by firing squad would be livestreamed, although officials said further details about the broadcast would be provided later.
The execution is scheduled for December 3 at Fort Hood, where Hasan carried out the deadly attack. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the public would be able to watch the execution, arguing that people needed to understand the consequences of serious crimes.
Hasan, who held the rank of major in the US Army, was convicted in a 2013 court-martial of murdering 13 people and injuring 32 others during the November 5, 2009, shooting.
He opened fire inside a medical facility at the military base, targeting soldiers who were preparing for deployment. He was subsequently sentenced to death.
The Trump administration approved his execution earlier this week, following years of legal proceedings and appeals.
The planned execution would mark the first US military execution since 1961 and the first by firing squad since 1945, when Army Private Eddie Slovik was executed for desertion during World War II.
The decision to livestream the execution is expected to intensify debate over capital punishment, public access to executions, and the role of government in broadcasting state-sanctioned killing.
Although executions in the United States have traditionally been witnessed by a limited number of authorized observers, making Hasan’s execution available through a livestream would be an unusual departure from modern practice.
The Pentagon has yet to release further details about how the broadcast will be accessed by the public.
