US president says convicted Fort Hood shooter will face firing squad on December 3, 2026, despite earlier proposal to broadcast execution
By: Tunji Okunlola
US President Donald Trump has reportedly ruled out livestreaming the scheduled execution of former US Army Major Nidal Malik Hasan, who was convicted of killing 13 people in a 2009 shooting at Fort Hood, Texas.
In a post on his Truth Social platform on Thursday, Trump reportedly said Hasan would still face execution by firing squad on December 3, 2026, but the event would not be broadcast publicly.
Trump had previously suggested that televising the execution could serve as a deterrent to terrorism. However, he said he reconsidered after taking into account objections from people who opposed broadcasting the killing.
According to the reported post, Trump argued that a public broadcast might demonstrate how the United States deals with terrorism but acknowledged that many people would prefer not to witness an execution through livestreaming or other visual media.
He also said immediate family members of the victims would be allowed to attend the execution in person if they wished, adding that they deserved to witness justice.
Trump Revives Questions Over Intelligence Failures
In the reported statement, Trump criticised the administration of former President Barack Obama over its handling of intelligence concerning Hasan before the attack.
Trump alleged that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) had intercepted electronic communications between Hasan and Anwar al-Awlaki, a Yemeni-American cleric who later became associated with al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.
The handling of Hasan’s communications with al-Awlaki had previously attracted scrutiny over whether intelligence shared between federal investigators and military authorities was adequately assessed and acted upon before the shooting.
The case prompted broader questions about information-sharing and the identification of potential threats within the US military.
Background to the Fort Hood Shooting
Hasan opened fire on fellow soldiers at Fort Hood on November 5, 2009, killing 13 people and injuring 32 others.
A military jury convicted him in 2013 of premeditated murder and attempted murder and sentenced him to death.
The attack became one of the deadliest shootings at a US military installation and led to investigations into the security and intelligence procedures in place before the incident.
The reported decision not to broadcast Hasan’s execution follows criticism of an earlier proposal to livestream the event, which was reportedly announced by US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth.
According to the account, the execution is scheduled for 1 p.m. local time on December 3, 2026, at Fort Hood, the military installation where the shooting occurred.
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