In brief
The Pentagon announced that former US Army major Nidal Hasan will be executed by firing squad on 3 December, with the ceremony scheduled to be streamed live. The decision, approved by President Donald Trump, marks the first military firing‑squad execution in more than six decades. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the broadcast would serve as a stark reminder of the serious consequences of terrorism. The move has prompted debate over the morality of public executions and calls for greater transparency from the military justice system.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed that the U.S. military will stream the execution of former Major Nidal Hasan live, according to a statement to the BBC. Hasan, who killed 13 unarmed soldiers during the 2009 Fort Hood mass shooting, was convicted at a 2013 court‑martial and has been sentenced to death.
The decision, the first military firing‑squad execution since World War II, was approved by President Donald Trump and set for 3 December at Fort Hood, Texas. Hegseth said the live broadcast was intended to remind the public of the serious consequences that terrorism carries.
While the Pentagon has outlined the public nature of the event, the White House has not yet commented on whether the stream will be allowed under presidential policy. Civil‑rights advocates and military families are divided over the move, with some praising the transparency and others questioning the ethics of a public death penalty.
The scheduled ceremony has already ignited debate across the country, as both policymakers and ordinary citizens weigh the implications of broadcasted executions for the nation’s moral and legal standards.
