US Military: Fort Hood Shooter to be Executed by Firing Squad, Streamed Live

United States military authorities will execute former Army Major Nidal Hasan by firing squad on December 3, making it the first military execution carried out by firing squad since 1945. Tgcom24 reported that the execution process will also be streamed live. The decision follows approval from President Donald Trump, acting on a recommendation from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, according to communications sent to victims’ families and cited by CBS News as reported by Giornale di Brescia.

The 2009 Fort Hood Shooting and Subsequent Military Court Conviction

The execution stems from a mass shooting that occurred on November 5, 2009, at the Fort Hood military base. Il Post detailed that Hasan, an American of Palestinian descent, entered an installation medical clinic and opened fire with more than one hundred rounds in a department where soldiers preparing for or returning from Iraq received routine medical care. The attack resulted in 13 deaths and left approximately 32 others wounded before a responding armed police officer shot and wounded Hasan, halting the rampage.

During his 2013 military tribunal, Hasan represented himself and stated he carried out the attack to prevent soldiers from deploying to Afghanistan and Iraq, wars he viewed as illegal. Il Post noted that a military panel found him mentally competent in 2011 before delivering the death sentence in 2013. Hasan has since been held in a military prison at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, where the last military execution took place on April 13, 1961, when soldier John Bennett was hanged for the rape and attempted murder of an 11-year-old girl.

Military Execution Shifts from Firing Squad to Lethal Injection

The planned December 3 procedure marks a departure from modern U.S. military execution methods. Il Post reported that the last military execution by firing squad occurred in 1945, when soldier Eddie Slovik was shot after a conviction for desertion during the Second World War. Federal and state corrections systems largely shifted toward lethal injection in subsequent decades, though that method has faced intense legal challenges and criticism regarding prolonged suffering, suffocation sensations, and difficulties obtaining necessary chemical substances.

Execution Timeline and Procedural Regulations at Fort Hood

The upcoming execution will take place at Fort Hood, the exact base where the 2009 attack occurred, according to communications distributed to the victims’ families. Il Post noted that military regulations mandate that executions must occur within 150 days and no earlier than 60 days following presidential approval. While the Pentagon announced plans for a live stream of the procedure as reported by Tgcom24, federal and military officials continue finalizing logistical preparations ahead of the December date.