The US will livestream the Army's upcoming firing squad execution of a gunman who killed 13 people at the Fort Hood military base in 2009, the Pentagon said on Thursday (October 8), in what would be an unprecedented broadcast of a US execution.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who championed the decision to execute former Army psychiatrist Nidal Hasan by firing squad, called the move a "no-brainer" during an interview on the Real America's Voice network.

The move prompted criticism from some commuters at a train station in California. One called the plan "disgusting", while another said broadcasting it live would be "inhumane".

The execution is scheduled for December 3 at the same sprawling Texas base where Hasan opened fire with a laser-sighted handgun in a medical facility. It comes amid heightened debate in the US over the death penalty following the botched lethal injection of a Tennessee woman last week.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

AT SEA (OCTOBER 7, 2026) (REAL AMERICA'S VOICE - Must courtesy RAV / No archive / No resale)

1. (SOUNDBITE) (English) HOST ON REAL AMERICA'S VOICE, JACK POSOBIEC, SPEAKING TO US SECRETARY OF DEFENSE, PETE HEGSETH (LEFT), AND SAYING:

“Major Hasan, there's news that came down regarding a firing squad. Can you tell us about how that came about and what led to that decision process?”

HEGSETH SAYING: “No-brainer. Execution by firing squad. Army major betrays his country. Radical Islamist kills a bunch of Americans at Fort Hood. Of course we're going to do it at Fort Hood, and do it on a Thursday. We're going to do it at one o’clock, which is when he did it. It's going to be soldiers with rifles executing in the firing squad."

2. (SOUNDBITE) (English) US SECRETARY OF DEFENSE, PETE HEGSETH, SAYING:

“We know what it is. It was a radical Islamist attack in uniform inside the ranks. And so he's going to get a firing squad of soldiers, as it should be, and we'll make sure that people are able to watch it, that it's public, because people need to understand that there's serious consequences for these types of things.”

POSOBIEC SAYING (English): “Has Major Hasan made any final requests, reached out to the press? Anything like that, to your knowledge?”

HEGSETH SAYING: “Don’t care. We’ll see him on December 3rd.”

OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES (OCTOBER 8, 2026) (REUTERS - Access all)

3. VARIOUS OF COMMUTERS LEAVING WEST OAKLAND STATION

4. SIGNAGE FOR WEST OAKLAND STATION

5. (SOUNDBITE) (English) 68-YEAR-OLD RETIREE, STEVE S., SAYING:

"It's disgusting. It's childish. What's next? Pay-per-view? I mean this is just ridiculous what is going on. No one should have to watch this. It shouldn't be anything the public sees."

6. VARIOUS OF COMMUTERS AT STATION

7. (SOUNDBITE) (English) 21-YEAR-OLD STUDENT AT SAN FRANCISCO STATE UNIVERSITY, JANELLE SUTTON, SAYING:

"I think personally it's a bit inhumane just because I mean, it's not something that needs to be shown live, especially because we don't know if kids are watching or if it might affect somebody personally, a lot to do with mental health and everything as well. Definitely don't think it should be broadcasted live."

8. TRAINS LEAVING, ARRIVING AT STATION

9. EXTERIOR OF STATION

10. (SOUNDBITE) (English) 25-YEAR-OLD CASE MANAGER IN SAN FRANCISCO, ISAIAH WILSON, SAYING:

"That's extreme. That's very extreme in my opinion. I just think it's for lack of better words, overly doing it. People should definitely have to quote unquote pay for their crimes, for lack of better words, but at the end of the day there's a way to do it and we have to not become desensitized to horrendous acts of violence in any aspects. What he did could be considered a horrendous act of violence. That doesn't mean we double down and do one as well. So in my opinion, that's kind of just not the best way to go about it. Not a big fan of it."

11. VARIOUS OF TRAIN LEAVING STATION