Pete Hegseth says the public can watch firing squad’s execution of the Fort Hood shooter

BREAKING: Pete Hegseth says the public can watch firing squad’s execution of the Fort Hood shooter

IE 11 is not supported. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser.Skip to ContentFormer Army psychiatrist Nidal Hasan in court in 2015 at Fort Leavenworth, Kan., where he is on military death row. Bell County Sheriff's Department via APShareAdd NBC News to GoogleBy Colleen Long and Gordon LuboldDefense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Thursday the public would be able to watch the firing squad execution of a former Army officer convicted of a mass shooting at Fort Hood, Texas.

Speaking from the USS Abraham Lincoln to the conservative news outlet Real America’s Voice, Hegseth said Nidal Hasan is “going to get a firing squad of soldiers, and we’ll make sure that people are able to watch it.”

“People need to understand that there’s serious consequences for these types of things,” said Hegseth, who called the method of execution a “no-brainer.”

Hegseth said the execution would be carried out at 1 p.m. Dec. 3 at Fort Hood — same day of the week and time of day as Hasan’s attack.

The execution will be livestreamed, according to a Defense Department official, though it’s not yet clear on which platform.

The last military execution was in 1961, when Army Pvt. John Bennett was hanged after he was convicted of raping and attempting to kill an 11-year-old girl in Austria.

The last firing squad execution by the military was that of Pvt. Eddie Slovik in 1945 after he was court-martialed for desertion during World War II.

Hasan was convicted of premeditated murder in 2013 through the Army court system and sentenced to death. He represented himself, though two lawyers with the Army Trial Defense Service assisted.

Hasan, a former major and psychiatrist, opened fire at Fort Hood on Nov. 5, 2009, killing 13 people and wounding 32 others while shouting “Allahu akbar,” or “God is great” in Arabic.

NBC News reported this week that the firing squad idea was set in motion this year inside the Pentagon, according to two U.S. officials familiar with the planning.

President Donald Trump recently approved Hegseth’s recommendation to carry it out, chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said on social media.

In his interview with Real America’s Voice, Hegseth was asked if he knew whether Hasan had contacted Trump or made any final requests.

“Don’t care,” Hegseth said. “We’ll see him on Dec. 3rd.”

ShareAdd NBC News to GoogleColleen LongColleen Long is a senior editor with NBC News Digital.

Gordon LuboldGordon Lubold is a national security reporter for NBC News.