The United States Department of Defense has announced that the planned execution of former U.S. Army Major and psychiatrist Nidal Malik Hasan, convicted of killing 13 people in the 2009 Fort Hood shooting, will be livestreamed to the public.
Hasan is scheduled to be executed by firing squad at Fort Hood, Texas, at 1 p.m. CST on December 3, 2026, in what would be the first U.S. military execution in more than six decades and the first military firing-squad execution since 1945.
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed that the public would be able to watch the execution, saying authorities would ensure that it was made public because people needed to understand that there were serious consequences for such acts. A Pentagon official subsequently confirmed that the execution would indeed be livestreamed, although details about the platform and viewing arrangements have not yet been announced.
Hasan convicted over 2009 Fort Hood attack
Hasan was an Army psychiatrist when he opened fire inside a medical facility at Fort Hood on November 5, 2009.
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The attack targeted soldiers who were preparing for deployment and resulted in the deaths of 13 people, while 32 others were wounded. Hasan was later convicted by a military court of 13 counts of premeditated murder and 32 counts of attempted murder.
During his 2013 court-martial, Hasan acknowledged that he was responsible for the shooting and said he believed he was protecting Muslims and Taliban fighters in Afghanistan from U.S. forces. He was sentenced to death.
Hasan’s case subsequently went through an extensive appellate process. The U.S. Supreme Court declined to review his court-martial conviction in March 2025. According to the Army, President Donald Trump approved the death sentence on October 2, 2026, following completion of the appellate process.
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First U.S. military execution since 1961
The planned execution would mark the first time the U.S. military has carried out an execution since 1961, when Army Private John Bennett was hanged after being convicted of rape and attempted murder.
It would also represent the first military execution by firing squad since January 1945, when U.S. Army soldier Eddie Slovik was executed for desertion during World War II.
The use of a firing squad is itself unusual in the modern United States. While some U.S. states permit the method under certain circumstances, its planned use by the military after more than 80 years has attracted significant attention.
Livestream raises legal and ethical questions
The decision to livestream the execution has generated questions about the legal and ethical implications of broadcasting an execution to a mass audience.
Experts cited by U.S. media have noted that there is no established modern precedent for a livestreamed U.S. execution, while questions remain about how the broadcast would comply with platform rules, age restrictions and other legal requirements.
There is also the possibility of further legal action. Although the Army says the appellate process has been completed, legal experts have noted that Hasan could potentially seek federal habeas corpus relief, which could delay the scheduled execution.
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A rare public execution in the United States
The proposed livestream also places the United States in an unusual global context. Public executions have become extremely rare in the country. Amnesty International reported that it documented 17 public executions in 2025, with 11 in Iran and six in Afghanistan.
The Pentagon’s decision therefore represents an unprecedented development in the modern American death-penalty system, particularly because the execution would involve both a firing squad and a public livestream.
For now, the execution remains scheduled for December 3, 2026, at Fort Hood, but further legal proceedings or other developments could affect whether it ultimately takes place as planned.
Cruise TV News will continue to follow developments surrounding the planned execution and the Pentagon’s livestream arrangements.
