On Monday, the Pentagon announced that President Donald Trump has approved the execution of Nidal Hasan, a US Army psychiatrist who carried out a mass shooting at Fort Hood in Texas in 2009, killing 13 people and wounding over two dozen others. The execution, which will be carried out by firing squad, marks the first time the US military has executed a prisoner since 1961. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth recommended the execution, which Trump subsequently approved.
Nidal Hasan was sentenced to death by a military jury in 2013 for the Al-Qaeda inspired attack at Fort Hood. During his trial, Hasan chose to defend himself, but did not call any witnesses or testify, and made no attempt to deny the charges. Court-appointed defence attorneys expressed concern that Hasan was seeking execution. The US-born Muslim of Palestinian descent had opposed the US military's occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan and had spoken online with radical cleric Anwar al-Awlaki.
The Fort Hood shooting occurred on November 5, 2009, at a medical facility on the sprawling military base, which served as a staging point for soldiers deploying to combat zones in Iraq and Afghanistan. Twelve of the dead and 30 of the wounded were soldiers. Hasan was shot and partially paralysed by a civilian police officer who responded to the attack. The Pentagon said that the Secretary of the Army will set the time and place of the execution.
While mass shootings are common in the United States, they are rare at military facilities. However, there have been several instances of violence at US military bases in recent years. In 2025, a soldier opened fire at a US military base in Georgia, wounding five fellow troops. In 2019, a US sailor fatally shot two people and wounded a third at a base in Hawaii.
The US military has a history of executing prisoners, but the practice was phased out in the 1960s. The last execution carried out by the US military was in 1961. The decision to execute Hasan by firing squad has raised questions about the use of capital punishment in the US military. The Pentagon said that the execution will be carried out in accordance with military protocol.
Nidal Hasan's case has drawn attention to the issue of extremism within the US military. The FBI concluded that Hasan's violence was inspired by a foreign terrorist group. The case has also raised questions about the mental health and well-being of military personnel. Hasan had been described as a troubled individual who had expressed anti-American and anti-military views online.
The execution of Nidal Hasan marks a significant development in the case, which has spanned over a decade. The decision to carry out the execution has been welcomed by some as a measure of justice for the victims and their families. However, others have raised concerns about the use of capital punishment and the circumstances surrounding Hasan's case. The execution is expected to take place at a later date, to be determined by the Secretary of the Army.
Key points
- President Donald Trump has approved the execution by firing squad of Nidal Hasan, the US Army psychiatrist who killed 13 people at Fort Hood in 2009.
- The execution marks the first time the US military has executed a prisoner since 1961.
- Hasan's case has drawn attention to the issue of extremism within the US military and raised questions about the mental health and well-being of military personnel.
