Pentagon Rarely Executes Publicly: U.S. Military Carries Out Its First Execution by Firing Squad in 81 Years
According to TASS reporting from New York on October 8, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced that the death sentence for Army soldier Nidal Malik Hasan will be carried out by public firing squad.
Hasan is scheduled to be executed on December 3 for a 2009 mass shooting at a military base in Texas, during which he killed 13 fellow service members. This will mark the first time in 81 years that the U.S. military has conducted an execution by firing squad—the previous such execution occurred on January 31, 1945, when a soldier was shot for desertion in France.
In an appearance on “Real America’s Voice,” Hegseth stated: “We will ensure that people can witness it, and that the execution will be conducted publicly, because people must understand that such actions carry serious consequences.” However, he did not specify how the Pentagon plans to carry out the “public execution.”
A previous briefing by the Death Penalty Information Center, shared with TASS, noted that civilian courts have imposed death sentences by firing squad multiple times, with the most recent execution taking place in 2025. The organization pointed out that firing squads have a zero failure rate, while hangings and gas executions have seen dozens of incidents involving malfunctions.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1878534684185608/
Disclaimer: This article reflects the views of the author alone