Pentagon plans to broadcast Nidal Hasan’s execution — Interia

The Pentagon plans to livestream the execution of former U.S. Army Major Nidal Hasan, who was sentenced to death for killing 13 people at the Fort Hood military base in Texas. The sentence is scheduled to be carried out on December 3, 2026, at 1:00 p.m. U.S. Central Time by firing squad. Interia reports.

According to the outlet, U.S. President Donald Trump approved the execution at the request of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Fort Hood was designated as the site of the execution — it was there that, on November 5, 2009, Hasan opened fire at a center preparing military personnel for overseas missions.

Attack at the military base

During the shooting, Hasan killed 12 military personnel and a civilian Army employee, while another 32 people were wounded. He was wounded during his detention, and spinal damage caused by gunshot wounds resulted in him using a wheelchair.

In August 2013, a military court found Hasan guilty on 13 counts of premeditated murder and 32 counts of attempted murder. He represented himself, admitted that he had carried out the shooting, and declined to make a closing statement. The military panel unanimously sentenced him to death.

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Broadcast without defined rules

The Pentagon has not yet said on which platform the broadcast could take place, who would have access to it, or whether age restrictions, a signal delay, or technical protection against copying the video would apply. Until now, executions in the United States could only be observed by designated witnesses, including relatives of victims, lawyers, officials, and media representatives.

If the broadcast takes place, it will become the first broadcast of a lawful execution for a mass audience in the United States. The country’s last lawful public execution took place on August 14, 1936, in Owensboro, Kentucky, when Rainey Bethea was hanged before approximately 20,000 people.

The date may change

The announced date is not final. Hasan completed his direct appeal in the military justice system after the U.S. Supreme Court declined to consider his appeal on March 31, 2025. However, he may still apply to a federal civilian court for a writ of habeas corpus and seek a stay of execution. Filing such a petition does not in itself halt the execution — a separate court decision is required.