FORT HOOD — President Donald Trump approved the execution of Nidal Hasan by U.S. Army firing squad. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth recommended the execution.

Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell announced the approval on social media. "The Secretary of the Army will set the time and place of the execution. Judgement day for Hasan has finally come," Parnell said. The Secretary of the Army will determine the date, time, and location of the execution.

Hasan was an Army psychiatrist at the time of the shooting. He shouted "Allahu Akbar" during the attack. A civilian police officer shot Hasan during the attack, leaving him partially paralyzed.

Fort Hood is the largest active-duty U.S. military post in the world, with over 50,000 military personnel stationed there at the time of the 2009 shooting. The Pentagon classified the Fort Hood attack as 'workplace violence'. During his trial, Hasan stated that he opened fire to protect Islamic insurgents from U.S. military forces.

Hasan represented himself at trial and called no witnesses. Court-appointed standby attorneys expressed concern that Hasan was intentionally seeking the death penalty. Hasan asked the Supreme Court to review his case in 2024. The Supreme Court declined to review Hasan's case in 2024.

The U.S. military has not carried out an execution since 1961. The last U.S. military execution was of Pvt. John Bennett, who was hanged in 1961 for raping an 11-year-old girl. Four men, including Hasan, are currently on the military's death row at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.

Why It Matters

This approval ends a legal process that began with a 2009 mass shooting and a 2013 conviction. The U.S. military has not executed a service member in more than six decades, making this a rare application of capital punishment within the armed forces. The decision follows the Supreme Court's 2024 refusal to review Hasan's case, clearing the final judicial hurdle for the execution to proceed.

The case involves complex pre-attack indicators, including an investigation by the Joint Terrorism Task Force into Hasan's communications with Anwar al-Awlaki. Despite these warnings and Hasan's promotion to Major shortly before the attack, the Pentagon initially classified the incident as workplace violence. The execution method, a firing squad, and the authority of the Secretary of the Army to set the details reflect the specific military legal framework governing this sentence.

Timeline

On November 5, 2009, the earlier incident involving Hasan at Fort Hood occurred when he killed 13 people and wounded 32 others, before being shot by Fort Hood civilian police Sergeant Mark Todd. On that same date in 2009, Hasan shouted "Allahu Akbar" during the attack at Fort Hood. Also on November 5, 2009, Hasan killed 12 U.S. service members and one civilian during the November 2009 shooting at Fort Hood. On November 5, 2009, Hasan wounded 32 people during the November 2009 shooting at Fort Hood. At the time of the shooting on November 5, 2009, Hasan was an Army psychiatrist. On November 5, 2009, Hasan was shot and partially paralyzed by a civilian police officer during the attack.

In 2013, Hasan was convicted in a 2013 court-martial of murdering 13 people and injuring more than 30 others.

What's New

Later reporting confirms that the Secretary of the Army will determine the date, time, and location of the execution of Hasan. Additional context reveals that in 2009, prior to the Fort Hood shooting, Hasan had been investigated by the Joint Terrorism Task Force for communications with Imam Anwar al-Awlaki, a known extremist linked to Al-Qaeda. Records show Hasan was promoted to the rank of Major in May 2009, just two months before the Fort Hood shooting.

Further details indicate the earlier incident involving Hasan at Fort Hood occurred on November 5, 2009, when he killed 13 people and wounded 32 others, before being shot by Fort Hood civilian police Sergeant Mark Todd. Background information notes Fort Hood is the largest active-duty U.S. military post in the world, with over 50,000 military personnel stationed there at the time of the 2009 shooting. Evidence from the attack shows Hasan shouted "Allahu Akbar" during the attack at Fort Hood. Casualty records confirm Hasan killed 12 U.S. service members and one civilian during the November 2009 shooting at Fort Hood. Medical reports state Hasan wounded 32 people during the November 2009 shooting at Fort Hood.