Published 19 hours ago • loading... • Updated 39 minutes ago
Firing Squad Set for Fort Hood Shooter, First Since 1961
The order follows Pete Hegseth’s recommendation and would make Hasan’s case the first U.S. military execution since 1961.
On Monday, President Donald Trump approved a firing squad execution for former Army Major Nidal Malik Hasan, convicted in 2013 for the 2009 Fort Hood mass shooting that killed 13 people.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth recommended the firing squad method while actively seeking to reclassify the attack from "workplace violence" to a terrorist act, honoring the 13 victims.
Military regulations have specified lethal injection since the 1980s, and the Pentagon has not confirmed whether these rules will be amended; the U.S. military last executed a soldier by hanging in 1961.
Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell wrote that the Army Secretary will set the execution's time and place; Hasan can still seek habeas corpus review in civilian federal courts, potentially delaying the process for years.
Trump called Tennessee's failed lethal injection last week "an interesting situation," while a 2026 Pew Research poll shows 66% of Americans approve of the death penalty, though 59% doubt its deterrent effect.