Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to Announce Public Firing Squad Execution

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced that the military execution of former Army Major Nidal Hasan will be livestreamed to the public.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated that the public will be able to watch the upcoming execution of former Army officer Nidal Hasan, who was convicted of a mass shooting at Fort Hood, Texas.

Pentagon Plans Public Fort Hood Execution

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Hegseth described the firing squad method as a no-brainer, adding that People need to understand that there’s serious consequences for these types of things. The execution is scheduled to take place at 1 p.m. on Dec. 3 at Fort Hood—matching the exact day of the week and time of day as Hasan’s 2009 attack. A Defense Department official confirmed that the event will be livestreamed, though the specific broadcasting platform remains undetermined.

According to two U.S. officials familiar with the planning, the firing squad idea was set in motion inside the Pentagon earlier this year. Chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell shared on social media that President Donald Trump recently approved Hegseth’s recommendation to carry out the sentence. When asked during his interview whether Hasan had contacted Trump or made any final requests, Hegseth replied, Don’t care, adding, We’ll see him on Dec. 3rd.

https://x.com/SeanParnellASW/status/2107252342097637558

Hasan Convicted For 2009 Fort Hood Attack

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Hasan, a former Army psychiatrist and major, opened fire at Fort Hood on Nov. 5, 2009, killing 13 people and wounding 32 others while shouting Allahu akbar, which translates to God is great in Arabic. He was paralyzed from the waist down after being shot during the attack. He later told a panel of military mental health professionals that he wished he had been killed so he could become a martyr for his cause, stating that execution would similarly preserve his martyrdom status.

In 2013, Hasan was convicted of premeditated murder through the Army court system and sentenced to death. He has represented himself throughout the yearslong legal process, aided by two lawyers with the U.S. Army Trial Defense Service as needed. It remains unclear whether he will appeal his method of execution.

Pentagon plans public livestream of firing squad execution

Military Faces First Firing Squad Since 1945

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The last military execution occurred in 1961, when Army Pvt. John Bennett was hanged after being convicted of raping and attempting to kill an 11-year-old Austrian girl. The military’s last firing squad execution was that of Pvt. Eddie Slovik in 1945 following a court-martial for desertion during World War II.

Data from the Death Penalty Information Center indicates that after a president approves a death sentence from a military court, the service member can seek habeas relief from the federal court system. If that petition is ultimately denied, the individual would traditionally be led down a flight of stairs to the United States Disciplinary Barracks’s death chamber to be executed by lethal injection. However, the Defense Department has explicitly stated that Hasan will instead face a firing squad.