Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says the execution of Fort Hood shooter Nidal Hasan will be carried out by firing squad at Fort Hood, Texas, and that the public should be able to watch it. If it happens as described, it would mark the first firing squad execution in the United States since World War II.
Hegseth laid out the details in stark terms. “Of course we’re going to do it at Fort Hood. We’re going to do it on a Thursday, we’re going to do it at one o’clock, which is when he did it, and it’s going to be soldiers with rifles executing the firing squad,” he said. We’ll make sure that people are able to watch it, that it’s public, because people need to understand that there’s serious consequences for these types of things.
Exactly what Hegseth means by “public” remains unclear. It’s not known whether the execution would be broadcast live, or whether civilians would be allowed onto the Texas military base to witness it. Current Army regulations permit at least two media outlets to be present for an execution, and no legal execution has ever been broadcast live in the U.S. The country’s last public execution took place in 1936. More details are expected in the coming days, and Hegseth’s firing squad execution plans have drawn wide attention.
Because Hasan was convicted of a military crime, his execution required sign-off from both Hegseth and President Trump, which was granted. Hasan was convicted in the 2009 mass shooting at Fort Hood that killed 13 people and wounded dozens more. Hegseth called it “a radical Islamist attack in uniform inside the ranks.”
Pete Hegseth wants the firing squad execution of Fort Hood terrorist to be public and announces a date.
Will you watch it? pic.twitter.com/0626sTTxbq
— Frank (@drastic215x) October 8, 2026
This execution may not stand alone. In April, Trump’s Department of Justice announced it was bringing back federal firing squads for death penalty cases more broadly. President Biden had paused all federal executions before leaving office and commuted the death sentences of 37 prisoners to life without parole. That pause is now over, and the current administration has made clear it intends to move forward aggressively on capital punishment.
The Hasan execution date has not yet been publicly confirmed. As plans take shape, questions about how and whether it will be viewed by the public are likely to draw legal scrutiny and intense debate. Share your thoughts on this story in the comments below or on social media.
Hegseth said see you on December 3 at Fort Hood.
