Pentagon to Execute Fort Hood Shooter Nidal Malik Hasan by Firing Squad

The Pentagon has announced that former US Army major Nidal Malik Hasan will be executed by firing squad, marking the first military execution in over 60 years. Hasan, who was convicted of fatally shooting 13 unarmed soldiers and injuring another 32 at Fort Hood in 2009, received a death sentence recommended unanimously by a jury of 13 officers. Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell stated on social media that Secretary of War Pete Hegseth made the recommendation, which was approved by President Donald Trump. The execution will be the first by firing squad since World War Two, with the Secretary of the Army responsible for determining the time and place of the execution. Hasan, who admitted to being the gunman during his court-martial in 2013, claimed he was acting to protect Muslims and the Taliban in Afghanistan. The attack on November 5, 2009, is noted as the deadliest non-combat attack on an American military base. Currently, Hasan is one of four inmates on the US military's death row. Military executions require presidential approval and must undergo appellate review for legality. Although the US Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces ruled the military death penalty unconstitutional in 1983, it was reinstated in 1984 by an executive order from then-President Ronald Reagan. Death by firing squad is rare, with the last execution by this method occurring in South Carolina in 2021. Four states, including Idaho, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Utah, allow firing squads. Trump reinstated the federal death penalty through an executive order on January 20, 2025, after a moratorium was issued by former President Joe Biden's administration.