Published Oct. 6, 2026. President Donald Trump has approved execution by U.S. Army firing squad for Nidal Malik Hasan, the former Army major convicted in the 2009 Fort Hood mass shooting, according to the Pentagon and established national reporting.
The decision approves the method recommended by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. It does not set an execution date: the secretary of the Army must determine the time and place, and additional federal-court litigation could delay the sentence.
What the Pentagon decision changes
Hasan was sentenced to death by a military jury in 2013 after being convicted of 13 counts of premeditated murder and 32 counts of attempted premeditated murder. The attack at the Texas installation, now called Fort Cavazos, killed 13 people and wounded more than 30.
Presidential approval is required before a military death sentence can be carried out. Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said Hegseth recommended a firing squad and Trump approved that method. The Army has not announced a date or location.
Military executions are exceptionally rare
The U.S. military has not carried out an execution since Army Pvt. John Bennett was hanged in 1961. The last military execution by firing squad occurred even earlier, according to Reuters.
The approval begins an important procedural stage, but it should not be read as confirmation that an execution is imminent. The Associated Press reported that Hasan could pursue a federal habeas corpus challenge capable of delaying the process, potentially for years.
What remains unresolved
- No execution date has been announced.
- The Army secretary must still select the time and place.
- Further civilian federal-court proceedings remain possible.
- The Pentagon has not publicly detailed why a firing squad was selected instead of another authorized method.
This report concerns the procedural status of a completed military criminal case. Follow Crime & Courts and Politics for verified legal and government developments.
Sources
- Associated Press, Oct. 6, 2026.
- Reuters, Oct. 6, 2026.
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