Pentagon Confirms Livestream for Fort Hood Shooter Execution
By Andrew Powell (/journals/andrew-powell)
The Pentagon has confirmed that the scheduled execution of convicted Fort Hood shooter Nidal Malik Hasan will be livestreamed, giving the public an opportunity to witness what would be the U.S. military’s first execution in more than 60 years. A War Department official confirmed the plan to Fox News on Thursday, saying, “It will be livestreamed. Details will follow.” Hasan’s execution is scheduled for Dec. 3 at Fort Hood in Texas, the site of the 2009 mass shooting that left 13 people dead and 32 others wounded. The former Army major was convicted in 2013 and sentenced to death for opening fire on unarmed soldiers and civilians at the military installation on Nov. 5, 2009. During the attack, Hasan shouted “Allahu Akbar,” according to accounts of the massacre. President Donald Trump approved the use of an Army firing squad after War Secretary Pete Hegseth recommended the method. The decision was previously announced by Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell in a post on X. “Judgment day for Hasan has finally come,” Parnell wrote. If the execution proceeds as scheduled, it would mark the first time the U.S. military has carried out an execution since 1961. It would also be the military’s first execution by firing squad since 1945. Hasan remains on military death row at Fort Leavenworth in Kansas, where he has been held following his conviction for the Fort Hood attack. The Pentagon’s confirmation that the execution will be livestreamed adds a public dimension to an incident that remains one of the most notorious acts of violence on a U.S. military installation. The planned broadcast would allow viewers to witness the execution, although officials have not yet released further details about how the livestream will be conducted. The execution remains scheduled for Dec. 3, with additional broadcast details expected from the War Department. Hasan’s case has spanned years of military legal proceedings since the 2009 shooting, culminating in the death sentence handed down in 2013. The Trump administration’s approval of the firing squad now sets the stage for a rare military execution not seen in generations. Watch the video below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRsO-ijEJqY