Fort Hood Shooting Convict Set for Firing Squad Execution as Pentagon Plans Public Broadcast
Qwenews.com – The Pentagon is preparing for the execution of Nidal Hasan, the former Army major convicted of carrying out the 2009 mass shooting at Fort Hood that left 13 people dead and dozens more wounded. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has said the execution will be made public, with a Pentagon official indicating that it will be livestreamed.
Hasan is scheduled to be executed by firing squad on December 3 at Fort Hood. Acting Secretary of the Army Adam Telle set the time for 2 p.m. Eastern Time, or 1 p.m. Central Time. The execution would mark the first firing squad execution conducted by the US Army since World War II.
Hegseth calls for public visibility
Speaking during an interview aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln on Wednesday, Hegseth said people should be able to see the consequences of crimes such as the Fort Hood attack. He discussed the planned execution with far-right podcaster Jack Posobiec.
“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 event would be livestreamed, though further details about the format, audience access, security procedures, or distribution platform were not provided. Earlier questions about the method of publicizing the execution had been directed to the Army.
Hegseth also described the planned timing and method, emphasizing that the execution would take place at the same hour as the 2009 attack.
“A Thursday, we’re going to do it at one o’clock, which is when he did it, and it’s going to be soldiers with rifles executing the firing squad.”
Decision approved by Trump
The Pentagon announced Monday evening that Hasan would be put to death by firing squad. Hegseth recommended that method, and President Donald Trump approved it. The decision brings renewed attention to the military justice system, capital punishment, and the symbolic weight of carrying out the sentence at Fort Hood, where the killings occurred.
For service members and families affected by the shooting, the case remains closely tied to a devastating moment in the Army’s recent history. The attack occurred at a medical processing center where troops were obtaining medical evaluations before planned deployments. The location placed Hasan among soldiers preparing for overseas service, including potential deployments to Afghanistan.
Hasan began firing inside the center, targeting people gathered there for medical checks. As soldiers fled through the rear of the building, he continued following them. Police confronted Hasan outside, and an exchange of gunfire followed. Hasan was eventually struck during that confrontation.
Convictions followed 2009 attack
In July 2013, Hasan was convicted on 13 counts of premeditated murder and 32 counts of attempted murder. The convictions reflected both the people killed in the shooting and those who survived after being targeted or wounded.
During his court-martial, Hasan told a panel of 13 officers that he had selected soldiers who were preparing to deploy to Afghanistan. He said they were going to participate in what he called an illegal war.
The planned execution has drawn particular significance because firing squads have rarely been used in modern US military practice. The Army has not carried out an execution by this method since World War II. The scheduled proceeding therefore represents more than the final stage of Hasan’s criminal case; it also revives a form of military execution largely absent from public life for generations.
Military discipline and historical framing
Hegseth framed the decision in terms of deterrence, accountability, and military resolve. In the interview, he invoked the wartime outlook he associates with the United States during World War II.
“I liked the mentality we had in World War II, which was win. Which was understand when the enemy attacks you, you stand your ground.”
His comments place the execution within a broader argument about how the military should respond when service members are attacked. The planned public broadcast would also make the event unusually visible, rather than limiting it to those directly involved in the military justice process.
As December 3 approaches, key operational questions remain unresolved, including how the livestream will be managed and what restrictions may apply to viewing or distribution. The Pentagon’s stated intention, however, is clear: Hasan’s execution is expected to be visible to the public and carried out at Fort Hood by soldiers assigned to the firing squad.
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