Pete Hegseth vows to make first firing squad execution in decades ‘public’

Fort Hood Shooter’s Scheduled Execution Set to Be Public, Hegseth Says

Activelifezero.com – Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says the planned execution of Nidal Hasan, the former Army major convicted of killing 13 people at Fort Hood in 2009, will be open to public viewing and livestreamed.

Hasan is scheduled to be executed by firing squad on December 3 at Fort Hood in Texas. Acting Army Secretary Adam Telle set the execution for 2 p.m. Eastern Time, or 1 p.m. Central Time. The Pentagon announced earlier this week that Hegseth had recommended the method of execution and that President Donald Trump had approved it.

Livestream Expected, Details Still Unclear

Speaking Wednesday during an interview aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, Hegseth said the execution would be conducted publicly so that people could see the consequences of mass violence. He described the plan as an event that people would be able to watch.

“We’ll make sure that people are able to watch it, that it’s public, because people need to understand that there’s serious consequences for these types of things.”

A Pentagon official later said the execution would be livestreamed, though no additional information was provided about who would be permitted to view it, what platform would carry it, or how access would be managed. Earlier questions about the public arrangements had been referred to the Army.

Hegseth also linked the scheduled time to the timing of the Fort Hood attack, saying the execution would take place on a Thursday at 1 p.m. Central Time. He said soldiers carrying rifles would form the firing squad.

Conviction for the 2009 Attack

Hasan was convicted in July 2013 on 13 counts of premeditated murder and 32 counts of attempted murder. The charges stemmed from the November 5, 2009, shooting at Fort Hood, a major Army installation in Texas.

During his military trial, Hasan told a panel of 13 officers that he selected soldiers he believed were preparing to deploy to Afghanistan. He said they were going to take part in what he called an “illegal war.”

The shooting began at Fort Hood’s medical processing center, where troops were receiving medical screenings before deployment. Hasan fired at service members inside the building, then pursued people as they fled through a rear exit. Police officers confronted him outside, leading to an exchange of gunfire. Hasan was shot during that confrontation.

The attack left 13 people dead and dozens more wounded. Its impact extended beyond the immediate victims, affecting military families, medical personnel, first responders and the Fort Hood community. The case became one of the most serious acts of violence ever carried out on a U.S. military base.

A Rare Military Execution Method

If carried out, Hasan’s execution would mark the first firing squad execution conducted by the U.S. Army since World War II. The decision has placed renewed attention on the military justice system and on the uncommon use of capital punishment within it.

Military death-penalty cases involve a separate legal process from state criminal cases, with authority extending through the chain of command and ultimately requiring presidential approval. Hasan’s case has moved through years of military court proceedings following his conviction.

Hegseth framed his support for the execution in terms of military resolve and historical wartime attitudes. In the interview, he invoked the mindset he associates with the United States during World War II.

“The mentality we had in World War II, which was win. Which was understand when the enemy attacks you, you stand your ground.”

The public nature of the planned execution is likely to become a central point of attention as December 3 approaches. A livestream would make the event far more visible than most modern military executions and could raise practical questions about security, access, media coverage and the treatment of victims’ families.

For relatives of those killed and survivors of the Fort Hood attack, the scheduled date represents another major moment in a case that began more than 17 years ago. The execution plan also underscores the enduring weight of the attack within the military community, particularly for those connected to the soldiers and civilian personnel who were at the processing center that day.

Officials have not released further operational details about the firing squad or the livestream. Those arrangements may determine how broadly the public can observe an execution that would be unprecedented for the Army in the modern era.