Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced on Thursday, October 8, 2026, that the U.S. military will livestream the upcoming execution of Nidal Hasan, who was convicted of a 2009 mass shooting at Fort Hood. The execution by firing squad is scheduled for December 3, 2026, at 1 p.m. at the Texas military base. Hegseth stated the proceedings would be available for public viewing so people can understand the "serious consequences" for such actions.
Hasan, a 56-year-old former Army psychiatrist, was convicted in 2013 on 45 counts of premeditated murder and attempted premeditated murder after killing 13 people and wounding 32 others. Earlier this week, the Pentagon announced that President Donald Trump had approved the death sentence by firing squad. This would mark the first military execution by firing squad since World War II and the first public execution in the United States since 1936.
The decision has met with criticism from members of both political parties in the Senate. Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) stated on Thursday that while Hasan should face the death penalty, a public livestream is "beyond disgusting" and compared the practice to "oppressive dictatorships." Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) characterized the decision as "medieval" and questioned the precedent of making such an event widely available to the public. Vice President JD Vance told reporters on Friday that he would not watch the event if it is ultimately livestreamed.
The scale of this shift is underscored by historical data; the last high-profile public execution in 1936 drew a crowd of approximately 20,000 people. A livestream would potentially allow millions of viewers to observe the event simultaneously. Legal experts note that Army Regulation 190-55 generally limits who can witness military executions and bars minors from viewing them, though the provost marshal general—the Army's top law enforcement official—has the authority to waive certain provisions. A livestream could set a precedent for transparency or "spectacle" in future federal or military executions, according to death penalty historians and legal observers.
Critics, including Archbishop Paul S. Coakley and representatives from Amnesty International, argue the broadcast could affect the "moral fabric" of the nation, while proponents like Hegseth argue it serves as a necessary deterrent. What happens next depends on potential legal challenges; legal experts told NPR that Hasan could delay the execution for years by filing a habeas corpus appeal—a legal petition used to challenge the lawfulness of imprisonment—in federal court. Outside groups may also file lawsuits to block the livestream itself before the scheduled December 3 date. Military authorities have not yet released specific technical details regarding how the broadcast will be hosted or accessed.