Trump approves firing squad execution for 2009 US military base shooter Nidal Hasan
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- Trump approved War Secretary Pete Hegseth's recommendation to execute 2009 Fort Hood shooter Nidal Malik Hasan.
- This marks the first approved US military execution since 1961.
- Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell stated the Secretary of the Army will determine the time and location of Hasan's execution.
- Hasan was convicted for the 2009 attack at Fort Hood, Texas, which killed 13 people and wounded over 30 others.
US President Donald Trump has approved the execution by US Army firing squad of convicted perpetrator Nidal Malik Hasan, who killed 13 people and wounded 30 others in a 2009 mass shooting at a Texas military base, the Pentagon announced on Monday.
The execution will mark the first time the US military has carried out a death sentence since 1961.
In a statement published on X, chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell confirmed that War Secretary Pete Hegseth recommended the capital punishment measure, which President Trump subsequently approved.
"Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth recommended, and President Donald J. Trump has approved, the execution by firing squad by a U.S. Army firing squad of convicted terrorist Nidal Malik Hasan," Parnell stated. "The Secretary of the Army will set the time and place of the execution. Judgement day for Hasan has finally come."
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has recommended — and President Donald J. Trump has approved — death by U.S. Army firing squad for convicted terrorist Nidal Malik Hasan, the jihadist who opened fire on unarmed American soldiers at Fort Hood in 2009. He killed 13 people and wounded 32 others while shouting “Allahu Akbar” during the attack. The Secretary of the Army will set the time and place of the execution. Judgement day for Hasan has finally come.
— Sean Parnell (@SeanParnellASW) October 5, 2026
2009 Fort Hood attack
On November 5, 2009, Hasan opened fire using a semi-automatic handgun inside a medical facility at Fort Hood, Texas.
The facility was actively serving as a processing center for soldiers deploying to combat zones abroad.
The attack resulted in the death of 13 soldiers and left 30 others wounded.
Hasan was shot by responding civilian police officers during the rampaging, leaving him partially paralyzed.
A military jury sentenced Hasan to death in 2013 following a court-martial in which he elected to represent himself.
During the proceedings, Hasan did not call witnesses, did not testify, and made no effort to deny or contest the charges against him.
Court-appointed standby attorneys expressed concerns at the time that Hasan was intentionally seeking the death penalty.
Evidence presented during the trial demonstrated that Hasan opposed the US military presence and military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Additionally, investigations confirmed that Hasan had engaged in online communications with American-born Anwar al-Awlaki, a senior Al-Qaeda figure who was later killed in a US drone strike in Yemen.
The Secretary of the Army is slated to finalize and announce the specific date and venue for the execution.
