America’s First Public Execution in a Century Will Be Livestreamed
Story By Staff Reporter
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says the public will be able to watch the execution of Nidal Hasan, a former US Army major. Hasan killed 13 unarmed soldiers at Fort Hood in 2009. A Defense Department official confirmed that the Pentagon plans to livestream the firing squad.
If it goes ahead, it would likely be the first public execution in the US in almost a century.
Hegseth: “Serious Consequences”
Hegseth defended the decision. “People need to understand that there’s serious consequences for these types of things,” he said.
He told the conservative outlet Real America’s Voice that soldiers will form Hasan’s firing squad. “As it should be,” he added.
A reporter asked whether Hasan had made final requests or contacted President Donald Trump. Hegseth replied, “Don’t care. We’ll see him on December 3rd.”
A Pentagon spokesperson said on Monday that Trump had approved Hegseth’s recommendation. Earlier this week, the Pentagon announced it would carry out the first US military execution in more than 60 years. We have asked the White House whether Trump supports a livestreamed public execution.
Legal Experts, the UN and Lawmakers Push Back
Critics have reacted strongly. John Mills, a lawyer who represents death row inmates, called the livestream “unprecedented in the modern era” and legally uncertain.
The UN human rights office said a livestream would amount to a public execution. It warned that this would breach the absolute ban on torture.
Democratic Senator Chris Murphy called the idea “disgusting.” He compared it to executions carried out by the Islamic State group.
A Survivor Backs the Firing Squad
Alonzo Lunsford, a former Army sergeant, took seven bullets in the attack. He supports the firing squad and calls it a fitting method.
Lunsford does not think everyone should watch. He worries about the message it would send to young people. However, he believes victims’ families and survivors should have the chance to see it uncensored.
He plans to attend in person. He wants Hasan to look him in the eye before the shooters fire. “I want him to know he failed. I’m still here,” he said.
What Happened at Fort Hood
Hasan, a US Army psychiatrist from Virginia, admitted that he opened fire in a crowded medical building at Fort Hood. He killed 13 unarmed soldiers.
At his 2013 court martial, Hasan apologised for “any mistakes.” He said he believed he was protecting Muslims and the Taliban in Afghanistan.
Will the Execution Actually Happen?
The execution is set for 3 December at Fort Hood, Texas. It would be the first military execution by firing squad since the end of World War Two.
Military law sets several hurdles. The president must approve the sentence. A higher court must review the case and rule on its legality.
Mills says Hasan’s appeals are still ongoing. He expects Hasan to ask a federal court to review his conviction and sentence. That request would likely halt the execution, and Mills said he would be surprised if it happened.
He also dismissed the livestream plan. “Attention-seeking by the Trump administration” is how he described it, adding that it is unlikely to deliver justice.
Would a Livestream Break New Ground?
Some US states require public witnesses at executions. Many require journalists to attend, and the condemned person can invite guests. A few states let ordinary citizens volunteer as witnesses.
Even so, Deborah Denno, a Fordham University law professor who studies execution methods, says no one has ever livestreamed an execution. She believes it would bring a level of transparency the country has never seen.
Denno notes that more than half of Americans still back the death penalty. In her view, supporters could fairly be shown how it works. Many people, she says, ignore what really happens.
She also raised the question of age limits. Army regulation 190-55 bars anyone under 18 from watching a military execution. We have asked the Pentagon and the Army whether they will waive that rule. We also asked what safeguards will stop young people from viewing the stream.
Executions Around the World
Governments carried out more than 2,700 executions across 17 countries last year. Only two countries held them in public, according to Amnesty International. Iran carried out eleven known public executions in 2025, and Afghanistan carried out six.
China, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Yemen and the US had the most executions, in that order.
Trump reversed Joe Biden’s pause on federal executions when he returned to the White House. A Pew Research survey from July found that 66% of Americans support the death penalty for murder. That figure has risen six points in five years.
The Last Military Executions
The US last executed a military prisoner in 1961. The Army hanged a private convicted of raping an 11-year-old Austrian girl. President Dwight Eisenhower approved the sentence. The victim’s family had asked his successor, John F Kennedy, for clemency, but the execution still went ahead.
The last firing squad execution came in January 1945. Soldiers shot Eddie Slovik, a young Army deserter, during the final months of World War Two.
Reporting based on original coverage by BBC, AFP and CNN.
