The U.S. last held a public execution in the 1930s. The Pentagon wants to change that
The Pentagon plans to livestream the execution of Nidal Hasan, the perpetrator of the 2009 Fort Hood shooting. This would mark the first U.S. public execution in nearly a century and the first ever to be broadcast live.
Why it matters
The decision raises significant ethical and legal questions regarding the state's role in capital punishment and the potential normalization of public executions.
The Pentagon says it will livestream the planned military execution of Nidal Hasan, the former Army psychiatrist who killed 13 people and wounded 32 at Fort Hood, Texas, in 2009.
Hasan, 56, has been on military death row since his conviction and sentencing in 2013. His case returned to the public spotlight earlier this week, when the Pentagon announced that President Trump had approved his death by firing squad — a first for the military since World War II .
The Pentagon says Hasan's execution will take place on the afternoon of Dec. 3 at Fort Hood, the site of his shooting rampage. On Thursday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the proceedings would be available for public viewing.
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