President Donald Trump has approved the execution of Nidal Malik Hasan by U.S. Army firing squad, the Pentagon announced Monday. The decision follows a recommendation from Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and marks the first military execution by firing squad since 1961.
President Trump authorizes firing squad execution
President Donald Trump has approved the execution of Nidal Malik Hasan by U.S. Army firing squad, the Pentagon announced Monday. The decision follows a recommendation from Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and marks the first military execution by firing squad since 1961. Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell stated that the Secretary of the Army will set the time and place of the execution.
Hasan convicted of 2009 Fort Hood massacre
Nidal Malik Hasan, a former Army major and psychiatrist, was convicted in 2013 of 13 counts of premeditated murder and 32 counts of attempted premeditated murder for the November 5, 2009, mass shooting at Fort Hood, Texas. Thirteen people were killed and 32 others were wounded in the attack, which occurred at a Soldier Readiness Processing Center where soldiers were preparing for deployment. Hasan shouted “Allahu Akbar” during the shooting, according to multiple reports. He is currently one of four inmates on the U.S. military’s death row at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.
Execution method and legal process
The execution will be carried out by firing squad, a method not used by the U.S. military since World War II. The last military execution occurred in 1961, when Army Pvt. John Bennett was hanged at Fort Leavenworth for the rape and attempted murder of a young girl. Federal law requires presidential approval for military executions, and the process includes appellate review and a final judgment on legality before the sentence can be carried out. Hasan’s appeals were exhausted in 2025, and the U.S. Supreme Court denied his petition for review on March 31, 2025.
Background of the 2009 attack
Hasan, born in Virginia, walked into the Fort Hood medical facility carrying two handguns and multiple ammunition magazines. He opened fire on soldiers awaiting medical checkups and vaccines. Twelve of the dead and 30 of the wounded were soldiers. A responding police officer shot and partially paralyzed Hasan during the incident. During his court-martial, Hasan admitted to the shooting and stated he carried out the attack to protect Taliban leaders in Afghanistan. He chose to represent himself during the trial and called no witnesses.
Military and legal context
The Fort Hood attack remains the deadliest non-combat attack on a U.S. military installation in history. Hasan’s case has been cited in discussions about military discipline and the handling of extremist behavior within the armed forces. A 2011 Senate report noted that evidence of Hasan’s drift toward violent Islamist extremism was “on full display” during his medical residency at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, with officers describing him as a “ticking time bomb.” The report cited instances where Hasan expressed sympathy for violent extremists and justified suicide bombings.