The Pentagon announced Monday that Nidal Hasan, the former Army psychiatrist convicted of the 2009 Fort Hood mass shooting, will be executed by firing squad. This marks the first U.S. military execution in more than six decades.
Who is Nidal Hasan?
Hasan is a former U.S. Army psychiatrist who opened fire on his colleagues at the Fort Hood military base in Texas on Nov. 5, 2009. The rampage left 13 people dead 12 soldiers and one civilian and wounded 32 others. Hasan was shot and paralyzed during the attack before being taken into custody. In 2013, a military jury convicted him of 13 counts of premeditated murder and 32 counts of attempted murder. He has been on death row at the military prison in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, ever since.
Execution by Firing Squad
While modern U.S. executions are predominantly carried out via lethal injection, the military justice system still permits execution by firing squad. The process typically involves strapping the condemned inmate to a chair, blindfolding them, and having a designated team of military shooters fire simultaneously at their chest. Given the severity of Hasan’s crimes, the Defense Department opted for this older, stricter method.
Presidential Approval and Timeline
Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell stated that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth recommended the execution, which President Donald Trump has now officially approved. While the exact time and location remain unannounced, military regulations dictate that the execution must take place no sooner than 60 days, and no later than 150 days, after the president’s sign-off.
‘Operation Resolute Justice’
The decision follows recent reports of an internal military plan dubbed “Operation Resolute Justice.” Revealed earlier this year, the directive instructed Army officials to coordinate the transfer of death row inmates from Kansas to the federal execution facility in Terre Haute, Indiana. Notably, several federal civilian executions were carried out at this same facility during Trump’s first term. Military protocol also requires at least two media representatives to be present as witnesses to the execution.
The First Military Execution Since 1961
The U.S. military has not executed a service member since 1961. The last was Pvt. John Bennett, who was put to death after being convicted of raping and attempting to murder an 11-year-old girl in Austria. Hasan’s execution will end a more than 60-year pause on military capital punishment.
