The United States Department of Defence has confirmed that the execution of former US Army Major Nidal Hasan, who was convicted of killing 13 people in a 2009 shooting at Fort Hood, Texas, will be livestreamed on December 3, 2026.
The announcement followed remarks by US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, who said the public would be able to watch the execution, which is scheduled to take place by firing squad at the military base where the attack occurred. The Pentagon subsequently confirmed the livestream plan, adding that further details would be released.
Hegseth made the remarks during an interview with the media outlet Real America’s Voice. He said the public should be able to witness the process, arguing that it would demonstrate the consequences of serious crimes.
Hasan, a former Army psychiatrist, was sentenced to death by a military jury in August 2013 after being convicted in connection with the November 5, 2009, attack at Fort Hood. The shooting left 13 people dead and 32 others injured.
The attack took place at the installation’s Soldier Readiness Processing Center, where military personnel were waiting for medical attention and deployment-related processing. Hasan opened fire on fellow service members before law enforcement officers shot and wounded him. He was left paralysed from the waist down and has since used a wheelchair.
The execution date was announced by the US Army after President Donald Trump approved the death sentence on October 2. The Acting Secretary of the Army, Adam Telle, subsequently directed that the execution take place at Fort Hood at 1 p.m. Central Standard Time on December 3.
If carried out as scheduled, the execution would be the first by the US military since 1961. It would also be the first US military execution by firing squad since 1945, according to reports on the military’s execution history.
The decision to livestream the execution has prompted renewed debate over capital punishment, the transparency of state executions and the ethics of making a death sentence available for public viewing.
Some legal experts say a livestream could offer greater transparency by allowing the public to see how capital punishment is carried out. Others have raised concerns about the dignity of the condemned prisoner, the purpose of broadcasting an execution and whether the process could become a public spectacle.
AbdulBasit Saba is a journalist and contributor to Freelanews.com, covering news, business, and public affairs.
