The U.S. government plans to publicly broadcast the firing squad execution of Nidal Hasan, the former Army Major convicted of murdering 13 soldiers and wounding 32 others in a 2009 attack at Fort Hood, Texas. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced the decision on Thursday, stating the execution is scheduled for December 3.
Hasan carried out the attack at Fort Hood, then known as the largest U.S. military installation, after shouting "Allahu Akbar!" and opening fire on soldiers preparing for medical evaluations. He claimed his motive was anger over American troop deployments to Afghanistan and a desire to protect Islamic and Taliban leaders. The attack was the deadliest on a U.S. domestic military installation.
Hasan was shot and paralyzed from the waist down during the incident and was sentenced to death in 2013. President Donald Trump ordered that Hasan be executed by firing squad. Hegseth stated the execution will be carried out by soldiers, emphasizing the solemnity of U.S. troops executing someone who targeted service members.
"And we'll make sure that people are able to watch it, that it's public, because people need to understand that this is there's serious consequences for these types of things," Hegseth said. He added that it would be the first firing squad execution of a U.S. service member since World War II.
A Pentagon spokesperson confirmed the plan to livestream the execution, with further details to be released. Hegseth described the choice of a firing squad as fitting, given that Hasan committed his murders with a firearm. He characterized the attack as "a radical Islamist attack in uniform inside the ranks."
Hasan is slated to be executed on Thursday, December 3, at 1:00 p.m., mirroring the day and time he committed the massacre. During his trial, Hasan admitted to initiating the rampage, stating he had "switched sides" in what he considered America's war with Islam and that he sought to prevent American soldiers from deploying to kill Muslims. Government lawyers also indicated Hasan wished to avoid deployment to Afghanistan.
The Department of Defense had previously classified the attack as an act of workplace violence rather than terrorism. Hasan is one of four inmates on death row within the U.S. Army's justice system. The Justice Department announced earlier this year that it would adopt firing squads as an approved method of execution as the Trump administration seeks to increase and accelerate capital punishment cases.