Trump approves firing squad execution for Fort Hood shooter Nidal Hasan
U.S. President Donald Trump has approved the use of a firing squad for the execution of Nidal Malik Hasan, who was convicted for the 2009 Fort Hood shooting. While the approval marks a significant procedural step, legal experts suggest that appeals could delay the execution for years.
Why it matters
The case involves rare military capital punishment and raises significant legal and ethical questions regarding the U.S. military justice system.
U.S. President Donald Trump has approved the execution by firing squad of Army Major Nidal Malik Hasan for the 2009 shooting rampage at Fort Hood, Texas.
The U.S. military has not carried out the death penalty since 1961. The Army secretary will decide a time and place for the execution, Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell wrote in a post on X. “Judgement day for Hasan has finally come,” Mr. Parnell wrote.
Hasan, an Army psychiatrist, walked into a medical building where soldiers were getting medical checkups, shouted “Allahu akbar” — Arabic for “God is great!” — and opened fire with a laser-sighted handgun. Thirteen people were killed and more than 30 injured.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in