US plans its first military execution since 1961, by firing squad and livestreamed
The Pentagon will livestream the firing-squad execution of Nidal Malik Hasan, the military psychiatrist who killed 13 people at Fort Hood, Texas, in 2009, scheduled for December 3. It will be the first execution carried out by the US armed forces since 1961, the first by firing squad since 1945 and the first publicly broadcast in the country’s history.
The U.S. military plans to execute Nidal Malik Hasan, a psychiatrist convicted of the 2009 Fort Hood shooting that killed 13 and wounded 32, in December 2025. This will be the first execution by the U.S. armed forces since 1961, the first by firing squad since 1945, and the first publicly broadcast execution in the country's history.
The Pentagon confirmed the execution will be livestreamed, with Pentagon spokesperson Pete Hegseth announcing the plan to the conservative network Real America’s Voice. Hegseth expressed little concern for Hasan's last wishes, stating, "I don't care. We'll see him on December 3." Military law requires presidential approval for a firing squad execution, and President Donald Trump granted it on Hegseth's recommendation.
Hasan, who represented himself at his 2013 death sentence trial, admitted to his actions and claimed he had "switched sides" to defend the Taliban. He is currently held at Fort Leavenworth military prison in Kansas after suffering paraplegia from police gunfire. The Supreme Court declined to review his case in March 2025.
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