Trump approves firing-squad execution of Fort Hood shooter Nidal Hasan, first US military execution since 1961
US President Donald Trump has approved the execution of former Army Major Nidal Hasan by firing squad for the 2009 Fort Hood mass shooting that killed 13 people and wounded over 30. Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell announced the decision, stating Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth recommended it. This would be the first US military execution since 1961. The execution must occur between 60 and 150 days after approval, though it could still be halted. Hasan, who showed no remorse and expressed a desire to die as a martyr, is one of four inmates on military death row.
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US President Orders Execution of Fort Hood Shooter by Firing Squad, First Military Execution in 60 Years
US President Donald Trump has approved the execution of Nidal Hasan, a former Army psychiatrist who killed 13 people and wounded 31 in a 2009 mass shooting at Fort Hood, Texas. According to the Pentagon, Hasan will be executed by a military firing squad, which would be the first military execution in the United States in over 60 years. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth recommended the execution, and Trump approved it. The execution must occur between 60 and 150 days after approval, though it could still be halted. Hasan, who stated he carried out the attack in the name of jihad, has shown no remorse and expressed a desire to die as a martyr. The order comes days after a failed execution attempt in Tennessee revived debate on the death penalty. Hasan is one of four death row inmates in the military justice system.
Read sourceTrump approves first US military execution in over 60 years for Fort Hood shooter
US President Donald Trump has approved the execution of Nidal Hasan, a former Army psychiatrist who killed 13 people and injured 32 in a 2009 mass shooting at Fort Hood, Texas. According to the Pentagon, this would be the first military execution in the United States in over 60 years. Hasan, now 56, is to be executed by an Army firing squad, as announced by Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell on X. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth recommended the execution, and Trump approved it. The execution must occur between 60 and 150 days after approval, though it could still be stopped, according to the New York Times, citing a similar 2008 case. The last military execution was in 1961. Hasan, who said he carried out the attack in the name of jihad and showed no remorse, is one of four death row inmates in the military justice system. The approval came days after a failed execution attempt in Tennessee, where Christa Pike survived two lethal injections, reigniting debate on the death penalty.
Read sourcePentagon to execute Fort Hood shooter Nidal Hasan by firing squad, first since WWII
The Pentagon has announced it will execute former US Army Major Nidal Malik Hasan by firing squad, marking the first military execution since 1961 and the first by firing squad since the end of World War Two. Hasan fatally shot 13 unarmed soldiers and injured 32 others at Fort Hood, Texas, in 2009. Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell announced on social media that Secretary of War Pete Hegseth made the recommendation and President Donald Trump approved it. Hasan was convicted of 13 counts of premeditated murder and 32 counts of attempted murder by a jury of 13 officers, who unanimously recommended the death sentence. Parnell stated that the Secretary of the Army will set the time and place of the execution, writing 'Judgement day for Hasan has finally come.' Hasan, a US Army psychiatrist, admitted in court he was the gunman and apologized for 'any mistakes,' stating he believed he was protecting Muslims and the Taliban in Afghanistan. The attack on November 5, 2009, was the deadliest non-combat attack on an American military base. Trump, who reinstated the federal death penalty via executive order in January 2025, has been a proponent of capital punishment, describing it as 'an essential tool for deterring and punishing those who would commit the most heinous crimes.'
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Trump Orders Execution of Fort Hood Gunman by Firing Squad
Multiple news outlets report that former President Donald Trump has ordered the execution of Nidal Malik Hasan, the gunman responsible for the 2009 mass shooting at Fort Hood, Texas. The order specifies that Hasan will face death by a U.S. Army firing squad, nearly 17 years after the attack that killed 13 people. The New York Times, Yahoo, Fox News, The Hill, and CNN all carry the story, with headlines emphasizing Trump's role in clearing the way for the execution and approving the firing squad method. The reports attribute the decision to Trump, noting it overcomes previous legal or procedural hurdles that had delayed the execution. The event is framed as a significant development in a long-standing case involving a convicted terrorist.
Read sourceTrump approves firing-squad execution of Fort Hood shooter Nidal Hasan, Pentagon says
Multiple major news outlets report that President Donald Trump has approved the execution of former U.S. Army Major Nidal Hasan by firing squad, according to the Pentagon. Hasan was convicted for the 2009 Fort Hood shooting massacre that killed 13 people and injured over 30 others at the Texas military base. The decision marks a rare use of the firing squad as a method of execution in the U.S. military justice system. Hasan, a U.S.-born Muslim, had been sentenced to death in 2013 but the execution had not been carried out. The Pentagon's announcement confirms the president's approval of the execution method, though no specific execution date has been reported in the headlines. The reports are attributed to Pentagon officials and covered by outlets including The Guardian, NBC News, CNN, CBS News, and The New York Times.
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