Hegseth says he intends Nidal Hasan execution to be public

Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth said on October 8 that the public would be able to watch Nidal Malik Hasan's execution. The man convicted of the Fort Hood attack is scheduled to face a firing squad on December 3.

Hasan killed 13 people at the Texas military base in 2009. In a Real America's Voice interview, Hegseth said publicity would demonstrate the consequences of such crimes. RIA Novosti carried his remarks, while ABC News reported that a Pentagon official confirmed plans for a livestream.

Hegseth's quoted remarks did not specify the technical format. Vice President JD Vance's later comments on October 9 indicate that the issue remains open: he expressed doubt that the broadcast would actually happen.

The planned firing squad would be the first use of that execution method in the US armed forces in 81 years. The previous case was on January 31, 1945, when a serviceman convicted of desertion was executed in France.

Firing squads have also been used in the US civilian system. RIA Novosti cited the Death Penalty Information Center's assessment of recorded botched executions using different methods. An absence of recorded failures for one method does not establish an absence of pain or other risks.