Donald Trump Approves Firing Squad Execution for Fort Hood Shooter Nidal Hasan

Execution Approval

U.S. President Donald Trump has approved the execution by firing squad of Army Major Nidal Malik Hasan for the 2009 mass shooting at Fort Hood in Texas. According to the Indian Express, the recommendation came directly from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell wrote on X that the Army secretary will decide the time and place for the execution. "Judgement day for Hasan has finally come," Mr. Parnell stated. Defense Secretary Hegseth also posted a single word in response: "Justice."

The 2009 Attack

Hasan, an Army psychiatrist, walked into a medical building where soldiers were getting medical checkups. He shouted "Allahu akbar" and opened fire with a laser-sighted handgun on unarmed troops. Thirteen people were killed and 32 others were injured during the attack. Hasan stated the shooting was an effort to stop soldiers from going to Afghanistan and killing his fellow Muslims. He made almost no effort to defend himself at trial, telling jurors that evidence would show he was the shooter and describing himself as a soldier who had "switched sides."

Legal Steps and Military Context

Mr. Trump's approval triggers a series of procedural steps toward carrying out the execution. However, Hasan could put them on hold for years with a habeas corpus appeal in the civilian federal court system, according to an article in the magazine Army Lawyer. Death sentences are extremely rare in the U.S. military justice system, and executions are even rarer. Four men, including Hasan, are currently on the military's death row at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. The last man executed in the military system was Private John Bennett, who was hanged in 1961 for raping an 11-year-old girl.

Context

Capital punishment is rarely used within the U.S. military justice system, and military executions have been on hold for decades. Firing squad executions in the United States typically involve a team of designated officers firing at a target placed over the inmate's heart, and such methods require specific authorization.