Donald Trump Approves Firing Squad Execution for Nidal Hasan
President Donald Trump approved the execution by firing squad of Nidal Hasan, the former Army psychiatrist convicted of the 2009 Fort Hood mass shooting.
Donald Trump approved the execution by U.S. Army firing squad of Nidal Hasan, a former Army psychiatrist convicted of killing 13 people during a 2009 mass shooting at Fort Hood, Texas. The decision follows a recommendation from Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. If carried out, this will be the first U.S. military execution since 1961.
Hasan was convicted by a military jury in 2013 and exhausted his appeals in 2025. He previously described himself as a soldier who had "switched sides," claiming the attack was intended to prevent soldiers from deploying to Afghanistan and killing Muslims.
Chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell announced that the Secretary of the Army will determine the time and place of the execution. While the approval triggers the necessary procedural steps, legal experts indicate that Hasan could potentially delay the process by filing a habeas corpus appeal in civilian federal court.
