Hegseth vows public execution for Fort Hood shooter to show 'serious consequences'

WASHINGTON,DC: US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, on Thursday, October 8, revealed a striking new detail about the planned execution of former Army psychiatrist Nidal Hasan: he wants the public to be able to watch it.

Hegseth said the decision is intended to send a message about the consequences of carrying out a deadly attack, adding a new and controversial dimension to an execution that had already been approved earlier.

Hegseth wants public to watch 'consequences'

Hegseth said authorities would ensure that Hasan's execution is open for people to observe, arguing that the public should see the consequences of what happened at Fort Hood.

“We’ll make sure that people are able to watch it. That it’s public,” Hegseth said.

He then explained why he believed the public should be allowed to witness the execution.

“Because people need to understand that there’s serious consequences for these types of things,” Hegseth said.

He was also asked if Hassan had made any final request before execution.

Hegseth replied bluntly: "We don't care. We'll see him on December 3rd."

The comments came days after President Donald Trump approved Hasan's execution by firing squad.

What Hegseth means by “public” remains unclear.

The Defense Department has yet to specify whether it would involve a broadcast, in-person public attendance, or another viewing arrangement.

Execution planned at Fort Hood

Hegseth also confirmed that the execution is expected to take place at Fort Hood, Texas, the same military installation where Hasan carried out the 2009 attack.

He said the timing would also have a direct connection to the original shooting, with the execution planned for 1 p.m., the approximate time Hasan began his attack.

“It’s going to be soldiers with rifles executing the firing squad,” Hegseth said.

Hasan, a former Army psychiatrist, opened fire at the Texas military base in November 2009, killing 13 people and injuring more than 30 others.

He was convicted by a military court in 2013 on 13 counts of premeditated killing and 32 counts of attempted premeditated killing.

He was sentenced to death and has remained on military death row since then.

If carried out as planned on December 3, Hasan's execution would be an extraordinary event in US military history.

The US military has not carried out an execution since 1961.

The last military execution by firing squad occurred in 1945, according to the Death Penalty Information Center.