Pentagon to livestream Fort Hood shooter’s firing‑squad execution on Dec 3

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the execution will be public and streamed online, marking the first US military firing‑squad execution since World War II.

By Felo News Desk · Published Fri, 09 Oct 2026 01:24:07 GMT

The US Defense Department will livestream the firing‑squad execution of former Army psychiatrist Nidal Hasan at Fort Hood, Texas, on Dec 3, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced.

What happened

Hasan, convicted of killing 13 people and wounding 32 in the Nov 5, 2009 Fort Hood mass shooting, is scheduled to be executed at 1 p.m. on Dec 3 at the Fort Hood base. The execution will be carried out by a firing squad, the method last used by the US military in 1961.

What the reports add

BBC News reported that the Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said the defence secretary had recommended the public execution and that President Donald Trump had approved it. Gulf News cited an unnamed Pentagon official who confirmed the livestream and said details would follow. NBC News added that the execution will be livestreamed, though the platform has not yet been disclosed, and noted that the last military execution was a 1961 hanging.

What was said

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told the conservative outlet Real America’s Voice, "Going to get a firing squad of soldiers, and we’ll make sure that people are able to watch it," and described the method as a "no‑brainer." He added, "People need to understand that there’s serious consequences for these types of things." BBC cited Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell saying the defence secretary made the recommendation and President Trump approved it.

How it came about

Hasan, an Army major and psychiatrist, opened fire at the Soldier Readiness Processing Center on Fort Hood on Nov 5, 2009, killing 12 soldiers and one civilian. He pleaded guilty at a court‑martial in 2013, citing a belief that he was protecting Muslims and the Taliban. He appeared before a military court at Fort Leavenworth on Jan 29, 2015, and has been on death row since. The decision to use a firing squad and to livestream the execution was announced in October 2026 by Secretary Hegseth, following earlier remarks that the execution would be public.

Key facts

The firing‑squad execution of Nidal Hasan is scheduled for Dec 3, 2026 at Fort Hood, Texas. (bbc.co.uk)
The execution will be livestreamed, though the platform has not been disclosed. (gulfnews.com)
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the public execution in an interview with Real America’s Voice. (nbcnews.com)
Hasan was convicted of killing 13 people and wounding 32 in the 2009 Fort Hood shooting. (bbc.co.uk)
The last US military firing‑squad execution occurred in 1961. (nbcnews.com)

Where accounts differ

Who approved the public execution: Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said President Donald Trump approved it. (bbc.co.uk); An unnamed Pentagon official confirmed the livestream but did not mention presidential approval. (gulfnews.com)
Details of the last military execution method: It will be the first military execution by firing squad since the end of World War II. (bbc.co.uk); The last military execution was a 1961 hanging; the last firing‑squad execution was also in 1961. (nbcnews.com)

Timeline

2009-11-05 — Nidal Hasan carried out the Fort Hood mass shooting, killing 13 and wounding 32.
2013-01-01 — Hasan pleaded guilty at a court‑martial, citing protection of Muslims and the Taliban.
2015-01-29 — Hasan appeared before a military court at Fort Leavenworth.
2026-10-08 — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the public firing‑squad execution.