A US Army psychiatrist, Nidal Hasan, who killed 13 people and injured over two dozen others in a 2009 shooting at Fort Hood in Texas, will be executed by firing squad. This will be the first execution by the US military since 1961. President Donald Trump has approved the recommendation made by Secretary of the Army, Pete Hegseth. Hasan, a Muslim born in the US to Palestinian parents, was convicted of 13 counts of premeditated murder and 32 counts of attempted murder.
The shooting occurred on November 5, 2009, when Hasan, then a major, opened fire at the medical facility at Fort Hood, a military base that served as a halfway point for soldiers deploying to Iraq and Afghanistan. Twelve of the victims and 30 of the wounded were soldiers. Hasan was also injured and left partially paralyzed after being shot by a civilian police officer who responded to the attack. He was convicted of the crimes in 2013 and chose to defend himself during the trial.
Hasan's motivations for the attack were rooted in his opposition to the US military's presence in Iraq and Afghanistan. He had online communications with Anwar al-Awlaki, a radical cleric and US citizen who was later killed in a drone strike in Yemen. During his trial, Hasan acknowledged that he was the shooter and that he believed he was protecting Muslims and the Taliban in Afghanistan.
The execution method of firing squad is unusual in the US. Last year, a firing squad was used in South Carolina, the first time in 15 years. Four other states, Idaho, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Utah, also allow the use of firing squads as a method of execution. The US military's use of the death penalty is also subject to review by an appeals court and a final ruling on its legality.
Before the death sentence can be carried out, the president must approve it, as per military law. The US Court of Appeals ruled the military death penalty unconstitutional in 1983, but it was reinstated by President Ronald Reagan through an executive order the following year. Military executions differ from those carried out at the state level.
Hasan is currently one of four prisoners on death row in the US military's custody. His case has drawn attention due to its rarity and the method of execution chosen. The Pentagon announced the decision on October 5, 2026, and the date and location of the execution will be determined by the Secretary of the Army.
The Fort Hood shooting was the deadliest attack on a US military base outside of wartime. The incident raised concerns about security and extremism within the military. Hasan's actions were widely condemned, and his execution is seen as a measure of justice for the victims and their families.
Key points
- Nidal Hasan will be the first person executed by the US military since 1961.
- The execution will be carried out by firing squad, an unusual method in the US.
- Hasan's motivations for the attack were rooted in his opposition to the US military's presence in Iraq and Afghanistan.
