Trump Approves Firing Squad Execution for Fort Hood Mass Shooter Nidal Hasan

President Donald J. Trump has approved an official recommendation submitted by War Secretary Pete Hegseth to execute convicted Fort Hood mass shooter Nidal Hasan using a U.S. Army firing squad, according to reporting by NewsOne. The executive action revives a method of military execution that has not been deployed by the United States armed forces in more than six decades. Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell publicly confirmed the presidential authorization in a social media update on X, detailing that the administration plans to execute the former military officer following his historic conviction.

Hasan, currently 56 years old, was convicted in 2013 and sentenced to death after launching a deadly assault on November 5, 2009, at the Fort Hood Army post in Killeen, Texas. According to verified reporting by NewsOne, Hasan held the rank of major when he opened fire on unarmed American soldiers inside the military installation, killing 13 people and inflicting injuries on 32 others. During the attack, Hasan reportedly shouted Allahu Akbar.

During his subsequent military court-martial proceedings, Hasan told the military judge that he was driven to carry out the mass shooting in order to defend the leadership of the Taliban and the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. Under federal law governing military jurisprudence, any death sentence resulting from a court-martial requires direct approval from the President of the United States before it can be legally executed. In his public statement, Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell explained that Secretary Hegseth formally recommended the firing squad procedure to President Trump, who gave his official approval for the plan.

Following Parnell's announcement on X, Hegseth shared the post while adding the single-word commentary Justice, as highlighted in reporting by NewsOne. The decision follows earlier statements made by Hegseth to The Hill in September 2025, in which he asserted that he was completely committed to ensuring that the death penalty was executed against Hasan. Hegseth characterized Hasan as a savage terrorist who merited the harshest lawful punishment for the 2009 attack, emphasizing that survivors and victims deserved justice without ongoing legal delays.

Hasan sought to challenge his conviction by filing an appeal petition on March 31, 2025, but that legal challenge was subsequently rejected by the Supreme Court. With presidential authorization established, primary responsibility for carrying out the sentence now shifts to administrative military leaders. Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell noted that the Army secretary will be responsible for setting the precise date, time, and location for Hasan's execution. Should the military proceed with the firing squad, Hasan will mark the first person executed under U.S. military court-martial authority since 1961.

As reported by CNBC and cited by NewsOne, the previous military execution took place when U.S. Army Pvt. John Bennett was executed by hanging after being convicted of rape and murder.