Nidal Hasan Firing Squad Execution to Be Livestreamed

The U.S. Department of Defense confirmed on October 8, 2026, that it will livestream the firing squad execution of Nidal Hasan, the former Army psychiatrist who killed 13 people at Fort Hood, Texas, in 2009. The execution is scheduled for December 3, 2026, at 1 p.m. CT — the same day, time, and location as the 2009 attack. If carried out as planned, it would be the first public execution in the United States in 90 years, since 1936.

Who is Nidal Hasan and what happened at Fort Hood?

Nidal Hasan, 56, was a U.S. Army major and psychiatrist. On November 5, 2009, he opened fire at the Soldier Readiness Processing Center at Fort Hood, where troops were undergoing medical screening before deployment to Afghanistan. Witnesses said he shouted 'Allahu akbar' during the attack, which killed 13 people and wounded more than 30. Hasan, an American of Palestinian descent, was shot by responding officers and left paralyzed from the waist down.

The 2009 Fort Hood mass shooting became the deadliest attack on a U.S. military base and prompted congressional hearings about missed warning signs. In 2013, a military court-martial convicted Hasan on 13 counts of premeditated murder and 32 counts of attempted murder, and sentenced him to death.

Why a firing squad and why livestream it?

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth recommended the firing squad method, and President Donald Trump approved it — approval required for military executions. Hegseth told reporters the decision to make the event public was a 'no-brainer' so that people understand there are 'serious consequences.'

'We're going to do it on a Thursday, at 1 p.m., when he committed his act,' Hegseth said, according to NOS. The Pentagon has offered few operational details, saying only that 'the execution will be livestreamed.'

How rare are firing squad executions?

• Since 1977, only 6 of 1,684 U.S. executions used a firing squad.
• Lethal injection has been the method in the overwhelming majority of cases.
• The military's last execution overall was in 1961, when John A. Bennett was hanged.
• The last military firing squad execution was Pvt. Eddie Slovik in 1945.

The choice of method and public broadcast has drawn comparisons to military death penalty law debates over transparency and deterrence.

Legal and ethical debate

Legal experts warn that broadcasting an execution could turn the punishment into a spectacle. Law professor Geoffrey Corn told CBS News the livestream raises significant moral questions. 'It turns the penalty into a public spectacle,' Corn said.

Public executions are virtually unheard of in modern U.S. history. Nearly all executions are witnessed only by a small group — attorneys, victim family members, and a limited press pool. The planned broadcast would break that norm for the first time since 1936.

What happens next?

Hasan is currently held at the United States Disciplinary Barracks at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. The December 3 execution date could still be delayed by appeals, military officials caution. If it proceeds, it would mark the first U.S. military execution in more than 60 years and the first firing squad execution by the military in eight decades.

The announcement has renewed scrutiny of US military justice reform and the role of public transparency in capital punishment.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is Nidal Hasan's execution scheduled?

The execution is set for December 3, 2026, at 1 p.m. CT at Fort Hood, Texas.

Why is Nidal Hasan being executed?

Hasan was convicted in 2013 of killing 13 people and wounding more than 30 in the 2009 Fort Hood shooting, and was sentenced to death under military law.

Will the execution really be livestreamed?

The Pentagon says the firing squad execution will be livestreamed for public viewing, though it has not released technical details. Legal appeals could also affect the date.

When was the last US public execution?

The last widely public execution in the United States took place in 1936.

Who approved the firing squad method?

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth recommended the firing squad, and President Donald Trump approved it, as required for military executions.