Nidal Hasan Scheduled for Dec. 3 Execution by Firing Squad at Fort Hood

POLICY WIRE — Fort Hood, Texas — Former Army Maj. Nidal Hasan, the perpetrator of the 2009 mass shooting at Fort Hood, is scheduled to be executed by firing squad on Dec. 3, 2026. The procedure will occur at the same military installation where the attack took place, according to correspondence sent to the victims’ families.

This event marks the first military execution in the United States since 1961. Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell confirmed late Monday that the firing squad method was proposed by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and subsequently authorized by President Trump.

Regarding the development, Parnell stated, Judgement day for Hasan has finally come. When contacted for further details, Fort Hood officials directed inquiries to Army headquarters.

The 2009 attack, which occurred on Nov. 5, resulted in the deaths of 13 individuals and left 32 others wounded. Hasan, who was an Army psychiatrist at the time, discharged his weapon 146 times at unarmed soldiers preparing for deployment. Witnesses reported hearing him shout “Allahu Akbar” during the assault, which ended when police returned fire, leaving Hasan paralyzed from the chest down.

The last time the military carried out an execution was 65 years ago, when Pvt. John Bennett was hanged following a conviction for rape and attempted murder. The most recent use of a firing squad by the U.S. military occurred during World War II, when Pvt. Eddie Slovik was executed in France for desertion.

Now 56, Hasan has spent the years since his conviction on death row at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. Under Army regulation 190-55, presidential approval is required for all military executions. A 2019 update to these regulations removed the specific requirement for lethal injection, granting the secretary of the Army authority to designate the method based on recommendations from the provost marshal general.

Following the presidential decision, the commandant is required to notify the prisoner in person, accompanied by a chaplain and potentially a defense attorney. Once this notification occurs, the individual is officially designated as a condemned prisoner.

Families of the victims and survivors were informed of the execution plans prior to the public announcement and were given the opportunity to attend. For many, this marks the potential conclusion to a 17-year ordeal. Among those killed in the 2009 attack was Pvt. Francheska Velez, 21, who was pregnant at the time.

Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)