wellnessfitproNidal Hasan, a former U.S. Army major, was convicted of killing 13 and injuring 32 at the Fort Hood army base in 2009
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(jpeg)/donald-trump-nidal-hasan-100626-1-190f86828c3543d79593596e5ae56393.jpg "U.S. President Donald Trump; Nidal Hasan")
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NEED TO KNOW
- Donald Trump has approved a request to execute Fort Hood shooter Nidal Hasan, 17 years after he killed 13 and injured 32 at the Texas military base
- Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth recommended death by firing squad for the 56-year-old, who was sentenced by a military jury in 2013
- Hasan’s execution would be the first U.S. military execution since 1961, when 18-year-old private John Bennett was put to death
Donald Trump has approved the firing squad execution of Fort Hood killer Nidal Hasan, paving the way for the first U.S. military execution in 65 years.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth recommended death by U.S. Army firing squad for former major Nidal Hasan, 56, and Trump has now approved the plans, chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell announced on X on Monday, Oct. 5.
If carried out, Hasan’s execution would be the first U.S. military execution since 1961, when 18-year-old private John Bennett was put to death after being convicted of the rape and attempted murder of an 11-year-old girl, per CNN.
“The Secretary of the Army will set the time and place of the execution,” Parnell wrote on X. “Judgment day for Hasan has finally come.”
Credit: U.S. Government Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences via Getty
Hegseth retweeted the post, writing, “Justice.”
Hasan, a Medical Corps psychiatrist, was convicted of killing 13 and injuring 32 at the Fort Hood army base on Nov. 5, 2009. 12 of those killed and 30 of those wounded were soldiers, per The Guardian. At the time, it was the deadliest shooting on an American military base.
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According to the Death Penalty Information Center, Hasan is one of just four people on death row in the U.S. resulting from a military court-martial.
Hasan, who was shot and partially paralyzed by a police officer who responded to the shooting, per The Guardian, was sentenced to death by a military court in 2013. During his court-martial, he said his motive was to defend the lives of the leaders of the Taliban in Afghanistan, CNBC reported.
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The Supreme Court denied a petition from Hasan seeking to have his case heard in 2025, the outlet reported, removing a further hurdle to his execution.
Under federal law, a person convicted through a court-martial and sentenced to death cannot be executed without the president’s approval. Hegseth said in September 2025 that he had asked Trump to approve Hasan’s execution.
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“I am 100% committed to ensuring the death penalty is carried out for Nidal Hasan,” the defense secretary told The Hill at the time.
“This savage terrorist deserves the harshest lawful punishment for his 2009 mass shooting at Fort Hood,” he continued. “The victims and survivors deserve justice without delays.”
The Department of War told PEOPLE it had no further comment beyond Parnell’s post. PEOPLE also reached out to the White House for comment but did not immediately hear back.
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