The execution of former Army Major Nidal Hasan, convicted in the 2009 Fort Hood massacre, will be live-streamed, a Pentagon official confirmed to ABC News on Thursday. Hasan, who killed 13 people and wounded 32 in the attack, is scheduled to be executed by firing squad on December 3 at the same military base where the massacre occurred.

This decision marks a significant departure from typical execution protocols in the United States, where public executions are rare and largely historical. The Army has not carried out an execution since 1961, and the firing squad method has not been used by the military since 1945, necessitating the development of new procedures.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated that Fort Hood was chosen as the execution site to coincide with the location of the attack, and the 1 p.m. execution time was selected to roughly align with the time the shooting began. Hegseth indicated a commitment to transparency, saying he would ensure "people are able to watch it, that it's public."

The execution order came from President Donald Trump, who directed the Army to proceed with the firing squad method. This directive required the military to abandon months of planning that had been focused on lethal injection, a method considered for other death row inmates. The Army had been preparing for lethal injection, as evidenced by internal documents reviewed by ABC News, until Trump's approval for Hasan's execution.

John Galligan, Hasan's civilian attorney, confirmed he spoke with his client on Wednesday. Galligan noted that Hasan was notified of the execution approval late at night, without legal counsel present. He also revealed that Hasan represented himself during his court-martial, though Galligan remained involved in his legal defense.

While the Supreme Court declined to review Hasan's conviction last year, Galligan suggested that a habeas corpus petition in federal court remains a possibility, which could potentially delay the execution. He criticized the Army's swift scheduling of the execution, suggesting officials are "pushing to get this done at earliest time possible."

Galligan also raised concerns about carrying out the execution at Fort Hood, citing medical considerations for Hasan, who is paralyzed. The chosen method, firing squad, is a stark contrast to the lethal injection that had been the focus of prior preparations, especially following a recent botched lethal-injection execution in Tennessee.

The military's move to a firing squad for Hasan's execution highlights the challenges and complexities of resuming capital punishment after decades of dormancy, particularly when deviating from established modern procedures. The process involves not only logistical and procedural hurdles but also raises questions about the public's access to and perception of such an event.