The Pentagon confirmed that President Donald Trump approved a firing‑squad execution of former Army major Nidal Hasan, the Fort Hood shooter convicted of killing 13 soldiers in 2009. The decision revives a World War II‑era method that has not been used by the U.S. military in more than six decades and puts the armed forces’ death‑penalty system back under public and legal scrutiny.
Hasan, an Army psychiatrist, opened fire at Fort Hood, Texas, on Nov. 5, 2009, killing 13 service members and wounding 32 others. A court‑martial in 2013 found him guilty of 13 counts of premeditated murder and sentenced him to death. Under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, the President must give final approval for any execution; a Pentagon spokesperson said Trump’s sign‑off was communicated in early 2024 and posted publicly on social media.
The chosen method – a firing squad of twelve soldiers, five of whom fire live rounds while the others fire blanks – was last used by the U.S. military during World War II. The most recent military execution, a hanging, occurred in 1961. Since then, the armed forces have relied on lethal injection for the few civilian federal death sentences that have been carried out, while military death‑penalty cases have stalled at various stages of appeal.
Legal scholars note that reintroducing the firing squad raises procedural questions. Army Regulation 27‑10 requires a secret ballot to determine which shooters fire live rounds, a safeguard intended to diffuse individual responsibility. Critics argue the method may conflict with modern standards of humane execution and could face Eighth Amendment challenges. Hasan’s defense has not filed a new appeal, but civil‑rights groups have said they will contest the decision in federal court.
Families of the Fort Hood victims have responded with a mix of relief and lingering grief. Some say the execution could bring closure; others stress that no punishment can undo the trauma experienced by survivors and the base community. Fort Hood’s command has pledged continued counseling services, underscoring the lasting impact of the 2009 attack on military readiness and morale.
The approval also forces the Department of Defense to confront broader policy considerations. Since the 2000s, the military has executed only two service members, both by hanging, and the last death‑penalty sentence was imposed in 2008. Reinstating the firing squad may set a precedent for future cases, prompting lawmakers to revisit the Uniform Code of Military Justice’s capital‑punishment provisions. Congressional oversight committees have said they will monitor the execution’s implementation and any subsequent legal challenges.
The Pentagon has not released a scheduled date for the execution, citing security and procedural requirements. As the Army prepares the necessary personnel and equipment, the case remains subject to potential appeals that could delay or halt the sentence. Whether the firing squad will ultimately be used will test the military’s ability to balance statutory authority, ethical standards and public expectations about capital punishment in the armed forces.