The U.S. military is set to carry out its first execution in over six decades, following an approval from President Donald Trump. On Monday, the Pentagon announced that Nidal Hasan, the former Army major and psychologist convicted of the 2009 Fort Hood attack, will be executed by a U.S. Army firing squad. This decision marks a significant moment in military justice, ending a long period without capital punishment within the armed forces.
"Judgement day for Hasan has finally come." Sean Parnell, Pentagon Spokesman
The announcement was made by Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell in a written statement. He detailed that Secretary of War Pete Hegseth recommended the execution, and President Donald J. Trump subsequently approved it. Parnell's statement identified Hasan as a "convicted terrorist" and a "jihadist" who "opened fire on unarmed American soldiers at Fort Hood in 2009."
The attack, which occurred on November 5, 2009, at the Soldier Readiness Processing Center on the Fort Hood post in Texas, resulted in the deaths of 12 soldiers and one civilian. An additional 32 people sustained injuries, bringing the total number of casualties to 45. Hasan, who shouted "Allahu Akbar" during the rampage, was shot and wounded by authorities before being apprehended.
A military justice system convicted Hasan on 13 counts of premeditated murder and 32 counts of attempted murder. He was sentenced to death in 2013 and has since been held at a military detention center at Fort Leavenworth in Kansas. Hasan is one of four death row inmates currently within the Army justice system.
The method of execution, a firing squad, holds particular historical significance. The last time a U.S. service member was executed by firing squad was in 1945, for desertion during World War II. The last military execution of any kind occurred in 1961, when Pvt. John Bennet was hanged after being convicted of raping and attempting to kill an 11-year-old girl in Austria. Hasan's execution, once carried out, would bridge an 80-year gap for the firing squad method and a more than 60-year gap for any military execution.
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell emphasized the gravity of the decision in his statement, adding a personal note: "Judgement day for Hasan has finally come." The announcement further specified that the Secretary of the Army will be responsible for setting the precise time and place of the execution.
The sequence of events leading to this decision began with the heinous attack in 2009, followed by Hasan's conviction and death sentence in 2013. The recent approval by President Trump, based on Secretary Hegseth's recommendation, now moves the process to its final stages within the military's judicial framework. The case has drawn national attention since the initial tragedy, and the Pentagon's recent announcement ensures continued focus on the resolution of this long-standing legal battle.
