The U.S. last held a public execution in the 1930s. The Pentagon wants to change that

Oct 9, 2026 · Rachel Treisman

Originally published by NPR News Read the original

The U.S. last held a public execution in the 1930s. The Pentagon wants to change that

A huge crowd gathers to witness the public hanging of Rainey Bethea in 1936 in Owensboro, Ky. Public outrage over the spectacle made Bethea

The Pentagon says it will livestream the firing squad execution of Nidal Hasan at Ford Hood, the site of his 2009 mass shooting. That would be the first public execution in the U.S. since the 1930s.

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