Trump Authorizes Military Firing Squad Execution for Fort Hood Gunman
President Trump approved the execution of Nidal Hasan, an Army psychiatrist who killed 13 people at Fort Hood in 2009, by firing squad—marking the first U.S. military execution since 1961. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth recommended the method, which will be overseen by the Secretary of the Army, though no execution date has been set. Hasan, now 56 and paralyzed, is imprisoned at Fort Leavenworth and can still challenge the sentence through federal court.
Nidal Hasan carried out a mass shooting at Fort Hood in November 2009, killing 13 people and injuring over 30 others at a military processing center. During his 2013 court-martial, where he served as his own attorney, Hasan admitted to being the shooter and stated his actions were motivated by opposition to military operations in Afghanistan. A military jury convicted him on multiple counts of murder and attempted murder, resulting in a death sentence that has remained in place for over a decade.
The approval process involves several procedural steps before execution could occur. While Trump's authorization fulfills the constitutional requirement for military death sentences, Hasan retains the legal right to petition federal civilian courts for habeas corpus review, which military legal experts have noted could delay any execution by years. No execution date has been set, and the specific location for carrying out the sentence has not been announced.
This decision may affect ongoing national debates about capital punishment methods and military justice procedures. The choice of firing squad follows a recent failed lethal injection execution in Tennessee, potentially signaling shifts in execution methodology preferences. For military personnel, the case underscores the independent legal authority of military courts. Families of victims may view the approval as significant closure, while civil rights advocates and death penalty opponents may raise concerns about execution methods and lengthy appeals processes.