US Military to Publicly Livestream Firing Squad Execution of Fort Hood Shooter, First Since World War II

The US Department of Defense announced on the 8th that on December 3, it will execute former Army psychiatrist Nidal Hasan by firing squad at Fort Hood military base in Texas, and will livestream the entire process online. This marks the first time the US military has executed a service member by firing squad since World War II. According to The Hindu, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said in an interview with conservative outlet 'Real America's Voice News' on the 7th that the execution would be 'public' and stated, 'We will make sure people can watch.'

Hasan was convicted for killing 13 and wounding 32 at Fort Hood in 2009. US President Trump has approved the execution, Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell had previously announced.

It is worth placing this announcement in its setting: Hegseth received the interview aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier. The carrier was concluding a long-term deployment supporting combat operations against Iran and heading toward its home port in San Diego. A Secretary of Defense, from the deck of an overseas military operation, talking to American conservative media about how the state would next deliberately end a life on domestic soil—and arranging an audience for it.

When asked whether Hasan had made a 'last request' or contacted the Trump administration, Hegseth replied: 'I don't care. See him December 3.' When asked on the 8th about details of the livestream plans, the White House referred the question directly to the Pentagon.

The last time the US military executed a service member by firing squad dates back to World War II; the last military execution took place on April 13, 1961, when Army Private First Class John Bennett was hanged. This means that from the Vietnam War, the Iraq War, the Afghanistan War, to the conclusion of current military operations against Iran, the Pentagon has chosen to return to this long-unused method—and have it captured on camera.

Pentagon officials said on the 8th that the specific technical details of the livestream and the platform on which it will be released 'will be announced later,' and whether it will be open to international audiences or the general public remains to be further clarified.