Fort Hood attacker's execution by firing squad will be livestreamed, Pentagon says
The US Department of Defense has announced that the upcoming execution of Nidal Hasan, the perpetrator of the 2009 Fort Hood shooting, will be livestreamed. This marks the first military execution by firing squad in over 60 years.
Why it matters
The decision to livestream a military execution is a highly controversial policy shift that raises significant ethical and legal questions regarding public transparency and state-sanctioned violence.
Image source, AFP via Getty Images By Sareen Habeshian Published 8 October 2026, 22:40 BST Updated 8 minutes ago The public will be able to watch the execution of a former US Army major by firing squad, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has said.
An official from the Defense Department told the BBC the execution of Nidal Hasan, who fatally shot 13 unarmed US soldiers at Fort Hood in 2009, would be livestreamed.
The Pentagon had announced earlier this week that it would execute Hasan in the first military execution in more than 60 years.
"We'll make sure that people are able to watch it, that it's public," Hegseth said on Thursday. "Because people need to understand that there's serious consequences for these types of things."
Image source, Bell County Sheriff's Office/Reuters Image caption, An undated handout image of Hasan that was released by authorities in 2012
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