Pentagon Announces Livestream for First Military Execution by Firing Squad Since 1945

Nidal Hasan, a former US Army psychiatrist, killed 13 people at Fort Hood on November 5, 2009. Investigators discovered that Hasan exchanged 18 emails with cleric Anwar al-Awlaki in the months preceding the attack. A review led by former FBI director William Webster concluded the bureau failed to investigate this correspondence adequately.

In 2013, a military jury sentenced Hasan to death. He conducted his own defense and provided no testimony during the proceedings. The last military execution by firing squad occurred in January 1945, when the military executed Eddie Slovik for desertion.

1. The execution concludes the legal process for the 2009 attack that killed 13 people. Nidal Hasan did not contest the charges during his 2013 military trial. He exhausted all legal appeals in 2025. The execution closes a case that remained open for 17 years.

2. The Department of Defense will livestream the event to provide public access to the military justice system. The broadcast allows viewers to watch the final sentencing phase. A military jury issued the original sentence in 2013.

3. The execution reflects the administration's policy on capital punishment. President Donald Trump returned to office in January 2026. He overturned the federal execution moratorium established by Joe Biden.

4. The military maintains a record of capital punishment that dates back over a century. According to the Death Penalty Information Center, 135 soldiers have been executed by the US military since 1916, establishing a historical precedent for the use of the death penalty in military cases.

1. John Mills, a lawyer for death row inmates, stated the decision to livestream the execution is unprecedented in the modern era. He further noted that the move places the military on uncertain legal terrain.

2. Yale Law School lecturer Eugene R. Fidell criticized the decision to livestream the execution. He called the choice "really unfortunate" and "out of the Middle Ages."

3. Deborah Denno, a law professor at Fordham University, stated that the United States has never conducted a livestreamed execution. Denno noted that this lack of precedent creates ethical and legal questions regarding the broadcast of such events.

4. The use of a firing squad for the first time since 1945 raises concerns regarding current military protocols. While five US states currently allow for the use of firing squads, the military has not utilized this method in over 80 years.