US President Donald Trump has approved the execution by firing squad of former US Army psychiatrist Nidal Malik Hasan, who was convicted of killing 13 people in a 2009 shooting at Fort Hood, Texas.
The Pentagon said the decision followed a recommendation from Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth. Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell announced the approval in a post on X, saying the Secretary of the Army would determine the time and place of the execution.
If carried out, Hasan’s execution would be the first by the US military since 1961. It would also be the first known US military execution by firing squad since 1945.
Hasan sentenced to death in 2013
Hasan was sentenced to death by a military jury in 2013 after being convicted of 13 counts of premeditated murder and 32 counts of premeditated attempted murder.
The November 5, 2009, attack took place at a medical facility at Fort Hood, where soldiers were receiving medical treatment before deployments.
Thirteen people were killed and 32 others were wounded. Hasan was shot by a civilian police officer responding to the attack and was left partially paralysed.
During his court-martial, Hasan represented himself and did not call witnesses or testify. He made little effort to contest that he had carried out the shooting.
The military jury found him guilty and unanimously imposed the death penalty.
Trump approval remains at record-low 32% as Democrats lead ahead of midterms
Attack at Fort Hood
Fort Hood, now known as Fort Cavazos, was a major US Army installation that served as a staging point for troops preparing to deploy to Iraq and Afghanistan.
The court heard that Hasan opposed US military operations in the two countries. Prosecutors also presented evidence concerning his online communications with a person linked to Al-Qaeda who was later killed in a US drone strike in Yemen.
Hasan had been scheduled for deployment to Afghanistan shortly before the attack.
Military executions remain rare
Executions under the US military justice system are extremely rare. The last military execution took place in 1961, when Army Pvt. John A. Bennett was hanged at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.
The Trump administration has also expanded the range of execution methods available under federal law, including firing squads, electrocution and gas asphyxiation. However, Hasan’s case falls under the separate military justice system and requires presidential approval.
The Army has not yet announced a date or location for Hasan’s execution.
