The Trump administration has authorized the execution of former Army Major Nidal Hasan by firing squad, marking what would be the first execution of an American service member by the United States military in more than six decades.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth recommended the method, and President Trump granted approval. Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell announced the decision, stating that the Secretary of the Army will determine the time and location for carrying out the sentence. The execution order brings to a close a legal process that has extended across three presidential administrations.
Hasan, a former Army psychiatrist, was convicted by court-martial in 2013 for the murders of 13 people and the wounding of more than 30 others during a shooting rampage at Fort Hood, Texas, on November 5, 2009. The attack remains one of the deadliest incidents on an American military installation in modern history.
During his trial, Hasan acknowledged responsibility for the massacre. He claimed he opened fire on his fellow soldiers in an attempt to protect Islamic insurgents from United States military forces. The court-martial panel sentenced him to death following his conviction.
Should the execution proceed as planned, it would represent the first time the military has put one of its own to death since 1961, when a soldier was hanged for the rape and attempted murder of an 11-year-old girl. The use of a firing squad is equally uncommon in contemporary American jurisprudence. South Carolina conducted three such executions last year, the first firing squad executions carried out in the United States since 2010.
Federal authorities typically employ lethal injection for civilian death penalty cases. However, earlier this year, the Justice Department indicated that federal officials should consider alternative methods of execution, including firing squads, electrocution, and lethal gas.
Hasan’s path to the execution chamber has been lengthy and complicated. He chose to represent himself during his court-martial, leading to extraordinary courtroom conflicts with his own court-appointed standby attorneys. These lawyers expressed concern that Hasan was deliberately pursuing a death sentence rather than mounting a proper defense.
In 2024, Hasan petitioned the Supreme Court to review his conviction, arguing that the military judge had violated his constitutional right to a public trial by clearing the courtroom during discussions regarding his disputes with his attorneys. The Supreme Court declined to hear the case.
The announcement brings a measure of finality to families who have waited nearly sixteen years for justice. The Fort Hood shooting shocked the nation and raised significant questions about military preparedness and internal security protocols at domestic installations.
The execution will be carried out under military authority, with arrangements to be finalized by the Secretary of the Army. No specific date has yet been announced.
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