The Pentagon has confirmed that the military will carry out the death sentence of Nidal Hasan by firing squad at Fort Hood and that the event will be livestreamed, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said. A Defence Department official later told the BBC the execution will be publicly viewable online. The Pentagon described the move as a way to show consequences for the attack.
Hasan was convicted by a military jury for an attack at a Fort Hood medical processing center that left 13 people dead and many wounded. He has been held at a military detention facility since his court martial ended with a death sentence. The Pentagon said President Donald Trump approved the defence secretary’s recommendation.
Hegseth told a conservative broadcaster the sentence will be carried out by a firing squad of soldiers and that the public will be able to watch. Alonzo Lunsford, a survivor who was shot multiple times in the attack, told the BBC he supports execution by firing squad and plans to attend, but he said unrestricted viewing could send the wrong message to young people.
Legal questions remain. A defence lawyer who works with inmates sentenced to death, John Mills, said the appellate process was not over and that Hasan was likely to seek federal review, which could stay the execution. Other commentators noted that military executions require presidential approval and appellate review before they proceed.
Reactions Risks And Historical Context
The plan to livestream has drawn criticism from human rights and political figures. The UN human rights office warned that broadcasting the event would amount to a public execution and could breach prohibitions against torture. Democratic Senator Chris Murphy called the idea “disgusting” on television, and the US Conference of Catholic Bishops said the decision promoted a culture of death, according to Archbishop Paul Coakley.
Experts noted the plan is unprecedented in modern US practice. Law professor Deborah Denno said there has never been a livestreamed execution in the country and that such transparency would force viewers to confront what happens during executions. She advised that questions include whether viewing would be age restricted.
Other reactions were mixed. A Pentagon spokesperson confirmed presidential approval. Vice-President JD Vance expressed doubt and said he would not watch a livestream. John Mills called a public, livestreamed firing squad unlikely and criticised it as attention seeking. Observers also noted that some US states allow firing squads for civilian sentences, and that firing squads remain in use in a number of countries, according to reporting and Amnesty International data.
The announcement revives debate over how the US conducts capital punishment in military cases, documented by historical precedents and by varied international practice. Officials said further details on viewing rules, security and safeguards would be released by the Defence Department.
