Pentagon to livestream execution of Fort Hood attack convict

The United States Defence Department will livestream the execution by firing squad of a Fort Hood attacker, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said Thursday, ensuring broad public access to the military proceeding.

Hegseth's announcement represents a departure from traditional closed-door military executions and underscores the Pentagon's commitment to transparency in capital cases. The decision allows civilians and media representatives who cannot physically attend the execution to witness the proceedings in real time.

The Fort Hood attacker was convicted of a deadly assault at the Texas military installation. The execution by firing squad is among the rarest forms of capital punishment in the United States military, reserved only for the most serious convictions.

The livestreaming of military executions remains uncommon practice, with the decision drawing attention to ongoing debates about capital punishment and public access to judicial proceedings. The Pentagon has not yet announced specific details regarding the timing of the execution or technical specifications for the livestream broadcast.

The case highlights the military justice system's continued use of capital punishment at a time when executions have become increasingly rare across much of the United States.