War Secretary Pete Hegseth announced that the scheduled execution of Nidal Malik Hasan, the convicted Fort Hood shooter, will be conducted publicly. The execution is set for December 3 at 1 p.m. Central Time at Fort Hood, Texas, to be carried out by a U.S. Army firing squad. This decision follows a recommendation from Secretary Hegseth, which President Donald Trump subsequently approved.
"We'll make sure that people are able to watch it, that it's public, because people need to understand that there's serious consequences for these types of things." Pete Hegseth, War Secretary
Acting Secretary of the Army Adam Telle formally established the execution date, with the Pentagon initially announcing the broader decision on October 5. Secretary Hegseth later clarified during an interview with Real America’s Voice aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln that the administration intends for the public to witness the event. "We'll make sure that people are able to watch it, that it's public, because people need to understand that there's serious consequences for these types of things," Hegseth stated. He also reacted to the initial announcement on social media with a single word: "Justice."
Hasan carried out the deadly attack at Fort Hood on November 5, 2009. At the time, he was an Army major and psychiatrist. Authorities reported that Hasan entered a soldier readiness processing center in Killeen, Texas, shouted "Allahu Akbar," and opened fire on military personnel preparing for deployment. The attack resulted in the deaths of 13 people, including 12 U.S. service members and one civilian employee. An additional 32 individuals were wounded. Hasan was eventually shot by civilian police officers responding to the scene, leaving him paralyzed from the waist down.
The selection of Fort Hood as the execution site is deliberate, according to Hegseth, intended to underscore the gravity of Hasan’s betrayal. "Army major betrays his country, radical Islamist kills a bunch of Americans at Fort Hood. Of course we’re doing it at Fort Hood," Hegseth remarked. The administration also chose a time intended to mirror the timing of the 2009 shooting. "We’re going to do it on a Thursday. We’re going to do it at one o’clock, which is when he did it," Hegseth added. He further specified that soldiers armed with rifles would constitute the firing squad, stating, "And it’s going to be soldiers with rifles executing the firing squad."
Hasan was convicted by a military court-martial in August 2013. A panel of officers found him guilty of 13 counts of premeditated murder and 32 counts of attempted premeditated murder, sentencing him to death. During his trial, Hasan represented himself and acknowledged his role in the shooting, describing the attack as an effort to protect Islamic extremists overseas from U.S. military action. Since his conviction, Hasan has remained on military death row at the U.S. Disciplinary Barracks at Fort Leavenworth, with his case undergoing the extensive appeals process mandated by the Uniform Code of Military Justice.
If carried out as scheduled, Hasan’s execution would mark a significant moment in U.S. military history. It would be the first execution conducted by the U.S. military since 1961. Furthermore, it would be the Army’s first execution by firing squad since World War II. The Trump administration's move to proceed with the sentence, coupled with War Secretary Hegseth's recent comments, indicates a firm intention to ensure the punishment for Hasan's crimes is both carried out and publicly visible. The decision highlights the administration's stance on military justice and accountability for acts of terrorism committed against service members.
