Trump approved the military's 1st firing squad execution since WWII. Why now?
President Trump has authorized the first U.S. military execution by firing squad since World War II for Nidal Hasan, the perpetrator of the 2009 Fort Hood shooting. While the order is set for December, legal experts suggest the process could face significant delays through federal appeals.
Why it matters
This decision marks a rare and controversial shift in military capital punishment policy, potentially signaling a broader move toward alternative execution methods amid ongoing debates over lethal injection.
President Trump has approved the execution by firing squad of Nidal Hasan , the former U.S. Army psychiatrist who killed 13 people in a shooting rampage at Fort Hood, Texas, in 2009.
It would be the first U.S. military execution in over six decades — and the first by firing squad since World War II.
Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell announced the news on X Monday night, writing, "Judgement day for Hasan has finally come." Secretary of the Army Adam Telle said in an order released Tuesday that Hasan's execution will take place at Fort Hood on Dec. 3.
But Hasan could delay those proceedings if he files a habeas corpus appeal in the federal courts, said Robin Maher, executive director of the nonprofit Death Penalty Information Center.
Also covering this story
8 other newsrooms covered this event. We read each version separately.
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Trump approves firing squad execution for Fort Hood shooter - The Washington Post
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