Trump approves firing squad for execution of Nidal Hasan for 2009 Fort Hood massacre

Trump Authorizes Firing Squad in Nidal Hasan Execution Case

Sandego.net – President Donald Trump has authorized execution by firing squad for Nidal Hasan, the former Army major convicted in the 2009 Fort Hood attack in Texas. The decision follows a recommendation from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, the Pentagon said Monday night.

Hasan was convicted for the shooting at Fort Hood, a military installation that was later redesignated Fort Cavazos. The attack left 13 people dead and 32 others wounded, making it one of the deadliest acts of violence at a U.S. military base.

Pentagon Says Hegseth Will Set Details

Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said Hegseth will determine when and where the execution will take place. The announcement indicates that the execution process is moving into a new phase after years in which Hasan’s death sentence had not been carried out.

“He killed 13 people and wounded 32 others while shouting ‘Allahu Akbar’ during the attack.”

Parnell described Hasan as the person who fired on unarmed American service members at Fort Hood in 2009. In his message, Parnell said that Hasan would finally face judgment for the attack.

“Judgement day for Hasan has finally come.”

Hegseth responded briefly to Parnell’s post with a single word:

“Justice.”

A Long-Running Military Justice Case

The Fort Hood massacre occurred in November 2009 and shocked the military community and the country. Hasan, who had served as an Army psychiatrist, was charged in connection with the deaths and injuries stemming from the attack. His conviction resulted in a death sentence under the military justice system.

The case has remained a significant one because it involves both a mass-casualty attack against U.S. service members and the rare possibility of a military execution. The military justice process operates separately from state and federal civilian courts, with its own rules, authorities and procedures.

Trump’s approval of the firing squad method is a consequential development in that process. The Pentagon said Hegseth, rather than the White House, will establish the execution’s time and location. No date or site was included in the announcement.

Impact on Victims and Military Community

For relatives of those killed and for the people wounded at Fort Hood, the announcement renews attention on an attack that left enduring personal and institutional consequences. The 13 people who died and the 32 who were injured were at the center of a tragedy that continues to be remembered throughout the military community.

The decision also places renewed focus on accountability in cases involving violence against American service members. Parnell’s statement emphasized the victims of the shooting and framed the planned execution as the final stage of a long-running effort to impose the sentence handed down against Hasan.

Public attention will now turn to the next procedural steps and to the details Hegseth is expected to establish. Until a time and place are announced, the Pentagon’s statement leaves key practical questions unresolved.

What Is Known Now

The Pentagon has confirmed that Trump approved death by firing squad for Hasan after Hegseth recommended that method. Hasan was convicted for the 2009 Fort Hood attack, in which 13 people were killed and 32 were wounded. Hegseth is expected to select the execution’s time and location.

The announcement did not provide further information about scheduling, the location that may be chosen, or additional steps before the execution can occur. Those details are expected to be determined by the Defense Department as the case proceeds.

For now, the approval marks a major turn in one of the most consequential military criminal cases of the past two decades, bringing fresh attention to the victims of the Fort Hood massacre and to the military justice system’s handling of Hasan’s sentence.