Pentagon Confirms Livestream of Fort Hood Shooter's Execution

The Pentagon confirmed Thursday that the execution of Nidal Malik Hasan, the former Army major convicted of killing 13 people at Fort Hood, Texas, in 2009, will be livestreamed to the public on Dec. 3, according to The Guardian. The plan has drawn condemnation from the United Nations, members of Congress and a British Cabinet minister.

What did the Pentagon announce?

The Pentagon said Hasan's execution by firing squad will be broadcast live on Dec. 3, the Guardian reported. A video caption accompanying the Guardian's report attributes the order to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. The Guardian's report does not specify which agency or platform will carry the stream, or whether the public will need to register to watch.

Who is Nidal Malik Hasan and what did he do?

Hasan, a former Army major, was convicted of killing 13 people in a shooting rampage at the Fort Hood military base in Texas in 2009, according to the Guardian. The Guardian's report describes him as a disabled man in its opening paragraph but does not detail the nature of his disability. A photo accompanying the story shows soldiers attending a memorial service for the 13 victims on Nov. 10, 2009, at Fort Hood.

What is the United Nations saying?

The UN's Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights warned Friday that broadcasting the execution would amount to a public execution and would "breach the absolute prohibition of torture," the Guardian reported. The UN statement does not elaborate on what legal consequences, if any, it believes should follow.

"A barbaric idea, beneath our dignity as a country. Push back on this."

That line came from former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who posted the comment on social media, according to the Guardian.

How are U.S. and British officials reacting?

Rep. Yassamin Ansari, described by the Guardian as the first Iranian American Democrat elected to Congress, wrote on social media that "In Trump's America, we're doing public executions now. WTF. This is what happens under brutal dictatorships like Iran and Afghanistan. It's all part of Trump's authoritarian takeover of the United States," the Guardian reported.

In Britain, which abolished the death penalty in the 1960s, Equalities Minister and Labour Party Chair Bridget Phillipson told BBC Radio 4's Today program that she found the concept "rather disturbing," according to the Guardian. The Guardian's report notes that Phillipson went on to stress additional points but does not quote the rest of her remarks.

The Guardian's report states broadly that the plan has drawn criticism from politicians, religious leaders and human rights advocates in the U.S. and abroad, without naming every individual or group.

What happens next?

Barring a legal challenge or a change in Pentagon policy, the execution is scheduled for Dec. 3, according to the Guardian's report. The Guardian's reporting does not indicate whether Hasan's legal team has filed or plans to file an appeal specifically targeting the livestream decision, separate from any appeals of the underlying conviction or sentence.

Timeline

• 2009: Hasan is convicted of killing 13 people in a shooting at Fort Hood, Texas, the Guardian reported.
• Nov. 10, 2009: Soldiers attend a memorial service for the 13 victims at Fort Hood, according to a photo caption in the Guardian's report.
• Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026: The Pentagon confirms the execution will be livestreamed, the Guardian reported.
• Friday, Oct. 9, 2026: The UN human rights office warns the broadcast could breach the prohibition of torture, and U.S. and British officials publicly criticize the plan, according to the Guardian.
• Dec. 3, 2026: The execution is scheduled to take place and be livestreamed, per the Pentagon's confirmation.

For continuing coverage of the lead-up to the scheduled execution, readers can follow The Guardian's rolling US politics updates, which the outlet is updating as reaction develops.