Trump Approves Firing Squad Execution for Fort Hood Killer Nidal Hasan

President Donald Trump has approved the execution by firing squad of Nidal Malik Hasan, the former US Army psychiatrist convicted of killing 13 people during the 2009 Fort Hood shooting in Texas.

The US military has now scheduled the execution for 3 December 2026 at Fort Hood, although legal proceedings could still delay the date.

Hasan was sentenced to death by a military jury in 2013 after being convicted of premeditated murder and attempted premeditated murder following the attack.

The Fort Hood shooting

On 5 November 2009, Hasan opened fire inside a medical facility at Fort Hood, where soldiers were undergoing medical processing before potential deployment.

Thirteen people were killed and 32 others were wounded.

The victims included 12 active-duty soldiers and one retired serviceman.

Hasan was shot by responding police officers and was left partially paralysed.

The shooting became the deadliest attack on a US military installation at the time since the 2001 September 11 attacks.

Hasan admitted carrying out the attack

Hasan largely represented himself during his court martial.

He did not dispute that he was responsible for the shooting, instead arguing that he had acted to prevent US soldiers from deploying to Afghanistan and fighting against Muslims.

He described himself as a soldier who had "switched sides".

The military jury convicted him in August 2013 and sentenced him to death.

Trump approves firing squad

Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth recommended death by Army firing squad and that Trump approved the recommendation.

The acting Secretary of the Army, Adam Telle, subsequently announced that the execution had been scheduled for 3 December at Fort Hood.

The decision comes as the United States continues to debate the use of different methods of capital punishment.

The Trump administration has expanded the range of execution methods available for federal cases, including firing squads, electrocution and gas asphyxiation.

A rare military execution

If carried out, Hasan's execution would be the first US military execution since 1961.

The last military execution was that of Army Pvt John Bennett, who was hanged after being convicted of rape and attempted murder.

It would also be the first US military firing-squad execution since 1945, according to the Death Penalty Information Center.

Military executions are extremely rare.

Only four people are currently held on the US military's death row at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, including Hasan.

Legal challenges could delay execution

Trump's approval does not necessarily mean Hasan will be executed on 3 December.

The military justice system allows further legal proceedings, and Hasan can pursue habeas corpus proceedings in the civilian federal courts.

Such appeals could potentially delay the execution for years.

The legal process therefore remains an important part of what happens next.

Death penalty debate

The decision has also reignited debate over capital punishment in the United States.

Supporters argue that the death penalty is an appropriate punishment for the most serious crimes, particularly where multiple people have been deliberately killed.

Opponents continue to challenge the use of capital punishment and question whether governments should have the power to execute prisoners.

The decision comes days after a failed lethal-injection attempt in Tennessee involving death-row prisoner Christa Pike, whose execution was halted after officials were unable to complete the procedure. Her lawyers have said she later regained consciousness.

That incident has intensified scrutiny of execution procedures and the methods used by US authorities.

What happens next

For the families of those killed at Fort Hood, the case has already lasted more than 17 years.

Hasan has remained on military death row since his 2013 conviction.

The scheduled date of 3 December 2026 now represents a potential final stage in the case, although appeals could change the timetable.

If the execution proceeds, it would mark a historic return of the US military death penalty after more than six decades.

For now, however, the legal process continues.

The execution has been approved and scheduled — but it is not yet certain that Hasan will be executed on 3 December.