The execution of former Army psychiatrist Nidal Malik Hasan is scheduled for December 3 at Fort Hood in Texas. The Pentagon’s unprecedented livestream plan has raised legal and ethical questions.
The Pentagon has confirmed that it will livestream the firing squad execution of Nidal Malik Hasan who was convicted of killing 13 people and injuring 32 others during a shooting at Fort Hood in 2009. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced that the execution will take place at Fort Hood on December 3 following a decision by President Donald Trump to approve the death sentence. Hasan was an Army psychiatrist who held the rank of major.
On November 5 in 2009 Hasan entered a medical facility at Fort Hood where soldiers were waiting to receive immunizations and medical clearance for deployment. He opened fire with a laser-sighted handgun and shot at soldiers waiting in line as well as those fleeing toward the parking lot. Hasan claimed his actions were an effort to stop soldiers from going to Afghanistan and killing fellow Muslims but this was not accepted as a defense during the trial.
A military jury sentenced Hasan to death in August 2013 after finding him guilty of premeditated murder and attempted premeditated murder. The shooting occurred weeks before Hasan was scheduled to be deployed to Afghanistan and he was later left partially paralyzed after being shot by police during the attack.
The Pentagon said the execution will be livestreamed in a move that has raised questions about transparency and public spectacle.
Defense Secretary Hegseth said the public should be able to watch the execution because people need to understand the serious consequences of such actions. Hegseth also said he did not care if Hasan had made any final requests. A Pentagon official confirmed the livestreaming plan to Reuters but did not provide further details about how the broadcast would work.
The execution would mark the first time since 1945 that a firing squad has been used for an American military death sentence. The last military execution in the United States was carried out in 1961 by hanging when Army Pvt. John Bennett was executed. Experts have offered mixed reactions to the idea of televising an execution with some raising questions about transparency and the risks of turning capital punishment into a public spectacle.
Others have expressed concern about the motivations behind such a public execution. Some legal scholars have noted that Hasan could attempt to delay the execution by seeking relief in civilian federal court. Such legal action could postpone the execution beyond the scheduled December date.
Firing squads are seen by some as a potentially more reliable alternative to lethal injection especially in cases where access to drugs or medical professionals is difficult. President Trump has previously criticized public executions in Iran and warned about the killing of protesters by Iranian authorities. The decision to livestream Hasan’s execution has also sparked debate about the dignity of the condemned prisoner and the government’s motives.
The Pentagon has not yet provided specific details about how the livestream will be conducted or what public access will look like. The military has not executed a servicemember by firing squad since World War II making this event historically significant.
The shooting at Fort Hood was meticulously planned with Hasan spending time preparing for the attack. Evidence presented during the investigation included his purchase of a handgun and visits to a shooting range. Soldiers who witnessed the event later testified about the difficulty of stopping the shooting.
The military referred questions about the livestreaming arrangements to the Pentagon and has not announced which platform would carry the broadcast. The execution is scheduled to take place at Fort Hood in Texas where the shooting occurred.
The Army has set the execution for 1 p.m. Central Standard Time on December 3. President Trump approved Hasan’s death sentence on October 2 after military appeals were completed and the Supreme Court declined to review his conviction in March 2025.
IMAGE: Source USA Today Network Author Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences CC0