Pentagon says it will livestream of military execution of man convicted of Fort Hood shooting

WASHINGTON (CBS, KYMA) - In a stunning announcement, the Pentagon said it will livestream a military execution.

Nidal Malik Hasan, a former U.S. Army officer, was convicted of carrying out a mass shooting that killed 13 people at Fort Hood in Texas back in 2009.

It's set to be the first U.S. military execution by firing squad since World War II (WWII).

When Hasan is executed by firing squad this December, the Pentagon confirmed his death will be livestreamed.

He was an Army Major and psychiatrist at the time of the shooting and later confessed to firing on on fellow Army members in an attempt to protect Islamic insurgents from U.S. military forces.

In an interview, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth explained the reasoning for making Hasan's execution public.

"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," Secretary Hegseth shared.

Hasan's execution is set to be the first public execution in the U.S. in nearly 100 years, and the first military execution by firing squad since WWII.

"Our values have evolved in our country and generally in the world," said Eugene Fidell, who teaches military justice at Yale Law School.

Fidell said a public execution raises concerns with international humanitarian law.

"It is a violation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights to conduct an execution in public, so this decision puts us in terrible company," Fidell spoke.

The only countries confirmed to have held public executions last year were Afghanistan and Iran. North Korea also has a history of public executions.

Fidell said if Hasan chooses to file an appeal to challenge the legality of the sentence, his execution could be delayed by years, meaning the jurisdiction could fall under whoever succeeds President Donald Trump.