Full Breakdown
Pentagon Plans Livestream of Fort Hood Shooter’s Execution by Firing Squad
By Drooid · · How we work
The Planned Execution
The Department of Defense announced that former Army psychiatrist Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan will be executed by firing squad on December 3 2026 at Fort Hood, Texas—the base where he killed 13 soldiers and wounded 32 on November 5 2009. “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,” said Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
Historical Context
Public executions were common in the United States until the 1930s. The last U.S. military firing-squad execution was the January 31 1945 death of Private Eddie Slovik. Hasan’s execution would be the first public execution in the United States in 90 years and the first military firing-squad execution in over 60 years.
Data & Statistics
- Amnesty International recorded 2,707 executions worldwide in 2025, the highest total since 1981.
- Five U.S. states permit firing-squad executions (Idaho, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Utah).
Official Statements & Responses
President Donald Trump approved the firing-squad method on October 5 2026 but has not commented on the livestream. Vice President JD Vance expressed uncertainty about the livestream and said he would not watch it. Archbishop Paul S. Coakley called the decision “barbaric” and urged reconsideration. The Pentagon said details on the livestream platform will follow, while legal scholars note Army Regulation 190-55 restricts witnesses to adults and does not address internet broadcasting.
Criticism & Opposition
Human-rights advocates argue the livestream would violate international law. Archbishop Coakley described the decision as “barbaric.” Senators Thom Tillis and Chris Murphy labeled the proposal “disgusting” and likened it to practices of oppressive dictatorships.
On-the-Ground Reports
Fort Hood survivor Alonzo Lunsford, shot seven times in the 2009 attack, opposes turning the execution into a “pay-per-view” spectacle, warning it could inspire extremist propaganda and traumatize children.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Legal experts disagree on the feasibility of a livestream. Some say Army regulations would prohibit minors from witnessing, which a public internet stream could violate; others suggest the Pentagon might seek a waiver, though no precedent exists. Robin Maher of the Death Penalty Information Center noted there is no historical record of a U.S. government-initiated livestream of an execution. Hasan retains the right to file a federal habeas-corpus petition, which could delay the execution.
Verbatim Quotes
- “He’s gonna get a firing squad of soldiers, as it should be. 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.” — Pete Hegseth, Defense Secretary
- “Public executions constitute a form of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment,” — Shabia Mantoo, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights
- “It is with shock and great sorrow that I have learned of the Department of War's decision to publicly livestream the execution of Nidal Hassan. Our God is the God of life. In no way can Hassan's actions be condoned but this decision is a barbaric promotion of a culture of death and must be reconsidered,” — Archbishop Paul S. Coakley
The planned livestream raises unprecedented legal, ethical, and diplomatic questions, pitting a government’s desire for deterrence against international human-rights standards and domestic concerns about the spectacle of state-sanctioned death.