The U.S. military will livestream the execution of Nidal Malik Hasan, convicted in the 2009 Fort Hood shooting that left 13 dead.
The military’s long-dormant execution process will be thrust into the public eye on December 3. when the Pentagon carries out the firing squad execution of Nidal Malik Hasan. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed the plan. declaring the event will be held at Fort Hood and will be broadcast via livestream.
“We’ll make sure that people are able to watch it. that it’s public. ” Hegseth said Wednesday during an interview aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln. When pressed on whether the condemned man had reached out to the Trump administration or made final requests. Hegseth dismissed the prospect: “Don’t care. We’ll see him on December 3rd.”.
Hasan, a former Army psychiatrist, was convicted for the 2009 massacre at a Fort Hood medical building. During a routine session where soldiers waited for deployment immunizations. Hasan shouted “Allahu akbar” and opened fire with a laser-sighted handgun. Evidence presented at trial showed he spent weeks preparing for the attack. even videotaping a clerk demonstrating how to reload the weapon and seeking professional instruction on reloading with speed and precision. In the ensuing chaos. he fired 146 rounds inside the building and dozens more at soldiers fleeing toward the parking lot. killing 13 people and injuring 32 others.
The execution plan marks a dramatic shift for the U.S. military, which has not used a firing squad to execute a service member since World War II. The last military execution occurred on April 13, 1961, when Army Pvt. John Bennett was put to death by hanging. Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell confirmed Monday that President Donald Trump had authorized the execution. The White House has since deferred all procedural questions regarding the livestream to the Pentagon.
Legal experts suggest the path to December 3 is not guaranteed. Eugene R. Fidell. a visiting lecturer at Yale Law School. noted that Hasan retains the right to file a habeas petition in civilian court. a move that could trigger significant delays. “It frankly might outlast the current administration. and who knows if the next one will have the same penchant for executions. ” Fidell said.
The administration’s push for this public execution contrasts with its previous foreign policy rhetoric. President Trump has frequently cited the threat of U.S. military intervention to stop executions in Iran. claiming in January that he warned Iranian leaders that hanging protesters would be a “very bad day for them.” By February. he boasted in a State of the Union address that the administration had successfully stopped those executions through the threat of serious violence.
During his own trial. Hasan—who served as his own counsel—offered little defense. choosing instead to label himself a soldier who had “switched sides.” He claimed his actions were intended to stop soldiers from deploying to Afghanistan. though a military judge ultimately barred him from presenting that argument to the jury. Now, nearly two decades after the shooting, the military is preparing for a spectacle that remains legally and politically contentious.
Nidal Malik Hasan Fort Hood shooting Pete Hegseth Pentagon firing squad military execution