Pete Hegseth says public can watch Fort Hood shooter's execution

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced on Thursday that the public will have the opportunity to witness the execution of Nidal Hasan, the shooter responsible for the 2009 Fort Hood shooting. This marks the first time the U.S. has held a public execution in nearly 90 years. Hegseth's statement has sparked questions about the specifics of how the execution will be conducted and viewed.

The Department of Defense has not provided clarification on whether the event will be open to spectators, streamed or broadcasted on television, or restricted to certain individuals. The upcoming execution, scheduled for December 3 at Fort Hood, involves Hasan being put to death by firing squad. The military has not yet outlined the details of the execution process.

This event would also be the first military execution since 1961, and the last firing squad execution in U.S. military history was in 1945. Firing squad executions are uncommon in the U.S., with only five states authorizing the method. The last public execution in the U.S. occurred in 1936 when Rainey Bethea was hanged in Kentucky for raping a white woman.