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US to livestream Fort Hood shooter's execution: Pentagon

Karl Sexton with AP, AFP, Reuters
October 9, 2026

US Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth had said that Nidal Hasan would be executed by firing squad and that it would be done "in public." Hasan's execution will be the first by the US military since 1961.

USA Quantico 2026 | Pete Hegseth speaks on stage at an event
Hegseth said he would 'make sure that people are able to watch' Hasan's execution [FILE: September 30, 2026]Image: Alex Wong/Getty Images/AFP

The execution by firing squad of Nidal Hasan, who shot and killed 13 people at Ford Hood in 2009, will be livestreamed, the US military said Thursday.

The confirmation came a day after US Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth had said Hasan's execution, which is slated for December 3, would be done in "public."

Pentagon officials added that more details on the execution would follow.

What did Pete Hegseth say about Nidal Hasan's execution?

In a video posted on X by official Pentagon accounts, Hegseth had said Wednesday that Hasan would get "a firing squad of soldiers, as it should be, and we'll make sure that people are able to watch it, that it's public."

Hegseth was speaking to right-wing influencer Jack Posobiec on board the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier, which ended a nearly 10-month deployment on Thursday.

"People need to understand that there's serious consequence for these types of things," Hegseth said.

Hasan's execution will be the first by the US military since 1961, and will be the first to be done by firing squad since World War II.

Hegseth added: "I kind of like the mentality we had in World War II, which was win."

What do we know about the Fort Hood shooter Nidal Hasan?

US Army psychiatrist Hasan killed 13 people and wounded 32 others at Fort Hood, Texas.

A military court sentenced him to death in 2013.

During his trial, Hasan said he had perpetrated the shooting to protect Taliban members in Afghanistan from US troops.

The announcement that Hasan will be executed by firing squad comes amid the fallout of the botched execution of Christa Pike.

Edited by: Wesley Dockery

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Karl Sexton Writer and editor focused on international current affairs
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