Pentagon Sets December 3 Execution Date for Fort Hood Shooter Nidal Hasan

The U.S. Pentagon has announced that the execution of Nidal Hasan, the former U.S. Army psychiatrist convicted of the 2009 Fort Hood shooting, is scheduled for December 3 and will be carried out by firing squad. Hasan was found guilty of killing 13 people and wounding 32 others in the attack at the Texas military base. The Department of Defense is considering allowing the execution to be viewed live, according to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who stated the move aims to demonstrate the consequences of such actions. Hegseth also defended the use of a firing squad as a firm approach against "enemies."

If carried out as scheduled, this would mark the first execution by the U.S. military since 1961. President Donald Trump has approved the firing squad method, based on Hegseth's recommendation, as required by military law for such executions. The White House has deferred questions about live broadcasting to the Pentagon. Hegseth set the execution for 1 p.m. local time at Fort Hood, close to the time the original shooting occurred.

The incident took place on November 5, 2009, when Hasan, armed with two handguns and multiple ammunition magazines, opened fire on soldiers awaiting medical exams and vaccinations at a base clinic. The attack resulted in 13 deaths, including 12 soldiers, and 32 injuries, mostly among military personnel. A civilian police officer intervened and shot Hasan, paralyzing him from the waist down.

Hasan, 56, is a U.S. citizen born to Palestinian parents who emigrated from the West Bank. Investigations revealed Hasan was influenced by Al-Qaeda ideology and had been in contact with cleric Anwar al-Awlaki. Hasan stated he opposed U.S. military involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan and aimed to prevent soldiers from being sent to fight Muslims. In 2013, a military jury sentenced Hasan to death after he represented himself and did not call witnesses or deny charges. His court-appointed lawyers had expressed concern that he intentionally sought the death penalty.

The planned execution by firing squad could set a precedent in the U.S. military justice system. Hasan would be the second person executed by firing squad since 2010 and the first by the military since 1961. Three other individuals are currently on death row under the military justice system.