President Donald Trump, the United States president, approved on Monday, 5 October 2026, a recommendation from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth that former Army major Nidal Malik Hasan, 56, be executed by firing squad for the 2009 mass shooting at Fort Hood, Texas.
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell announced the decision on X. The secretary of the Army will set the time and place.
Also read: Never forget: Video emerges showing Palestinian militant killing two young girls during October 7 attack (Watch)
Hasan, then an Army psychiatrist, opened fire on 5 November 2009 inside the Soldier Readiness Processing Center at the Texas base, now Fort Cavazos.
He killed 13 people, 12 soldiers and one civilian employee, and wounded 32 others, before he was shot and arrested.
A military jury convicted him in August 2013 of 13 counts of premeditated murder and 32 counts of attempted premeditated murder, and sentenced him to death. He admitted he was the shooter and said he had acted to protect Taliban fighters.
The Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces affirmed the conviction and sentence in March 2024. The US Supreme Court declined to hear the appeal in March 2025.
Army rules call for an execution no sooner than 60 days and no later than 150 days after presidential approval.
Further civilian litigation could still move that window. If carried out, it would be the first US military execution since April 1961, when Army Private John Bennett was hanged at Fort Leavenworth.
Parnell wrote: “Judgement day for Hasan has finally come.” Hegseth shared the announcement with one word: “Justice.” Parnell also said Hasan had shouted “Allahu Akbar” during the attack.
Hasan, a US citizen and the Virginia-born son of Palestinian immigrants, is one of four men on the Army’s death row.
For the families, the approval ends a 17-year wait without closing it. No hour has been fixed, and the method remains rare in American practice.
Also read: Never forget: Video emerges showing Palestinian militant killing two young girls during October 7 attack (Watch)
Until the Army secretary names a date, the decision that Trump approves grim firing squad stands as an order on paper, not a completed punishment.
Quadri Olaitan is a journalist and contributor to Freelanews.com, covering news, public affairs, and human-interest stories.
