Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Thursday the public will be able to watch the execution of the Fort Hood shooter by firing squad. Why it matters: The U.S. hasn't held a public execution in 90 years, and Hegseth's remarks raise questions about how the military would allow people to watch. Driving the news: Hegseth was asked about Nidal Hasan, the man convicted of killing 13 people in a 2009 shooting at Fort Hood, Texas. * Hasan is scheduled to be executed by firing squad on Dec. 3 at Fort Hood. State of play: The Department of Defense declined to comment on Hegseth's remarks, leaving questions about how the public could watch the execution. * The last U.S. military execution by firing squad was in 1945, when Pvt. Eddie Slovik was shot for desertion in France, according to NPR. * Last year, South Carolina carried out the state's first firing squad execution — the first in the U.S. in 15 years.