Trump Approves Firing-Squad Execution for Nidal Hasan

President Donald Trump has approved the execution of former U.S. Army Major Nidal Malik Hasan, who was sentenced to death for the 2009 mass shooting at Fort Hood, Texas. The Pentagon says the execution is to be carried out by a U.S. Army firing squad, following a recommendation from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. 

Who is Nidal Hasan?

Nidal Malik Hasan was a U.S. Army psychiatrist and major who was stationed at Fort Hood, a major U.S. military installation in Texas.

On November 5, 2009, Hasan opened fire at the military base's Soldier Readiness Processing Center, where service members were undergoing medical processing before possible deployment.

The attack resulted in 13 deaths and 32 attempted-murder convictions involving people who were wounded. Hasan was confronted by police and was wounded and partially paralyzed before being taken into custody. 

The incident became one of the most significant attacks against U.S. military personnel on American soil.

What happened during the trial?

Hasan was prosecuted through the U.S. military justice system, rather than an ordinary civilian criminal court.

In August 2013, a military court found him guilty of 13 counts of premeditated murder and 32 counts of attempted premeditated murder.

The military jury unanimously sentenced him to death. He was also dismissed from the Army and ordered to forfeit his military pay and allowances. 

One unusual aspect of the proceedings was that Hasan chose to largely represent himself. He did not mount a conventional defense attempting to establish his innocence.

His case subsequently went through the military appellate system, which is required in capital cases. 

Why has the execution taken so long?

The 2009 attack happened 17 years ago, and Hasan received his death sentence in 2013. But a military death sentence does not automatically lead to an immediate execution.

Capital cases in the U.S. military undergo extensive legal review. Military courts and federal courts can consider appeals and other legal challenges.

The Army's own legal analysis published earlier in 2026 explained that military death sentences involve multiple safeguards, including appellate review and potential federal habeas proceedings. 

That means Trump's approval does not necessarily mean Hasan will be executed immediately.

What exactly did Trump approve?

According to the Pentagon, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth recommended death by U.S. Army firing squad, and President Trump approved the recommendation.

Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell announced that the Secretary of the Army will determine the time and location of the execution. 

Importantly, reports available as of October 6, 2026, do not give a confirmed execution date.

So the headline should not be interpreted as saying the execution has already happened.

Why is the firing squad decision significant?

The method is particularly notable because executions by the U.S. military are extremely rare.

The last U.S. military execution took place in 1961, when Army Pvt. John A. Bennett was executed at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. That execution was carried out by hanging. 

If Hasan's execution proceeds, he would therefore become the first U.S. service member executed by the military in more than six decades. 

That makes the case historically significant beyond Hasan himself.

Why does the President have a role?

Military death sentences are different from ordinary state-level criminal executions.

Under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, a military death sentence cannot be carried out without presidential approval. The President has authority to approve, suspend, remit or commute the death sentence. 

That is why Trump's decision is such an important legal step in Hasan's case.

However, military and federal courts can still be involved in subsequent legal proceedings.

What happens next?

The next major step is for the Secretary of the Army to establish the time and place of the execution.

At the same time, Hasan's legal team can pursue available legal avenues. The Army's own legal publication has emphasized that presidential approval does not necessarily remove a military capital case from judicial review. 

Bottom line: The screenshot is broadly consistent with current reporting, but the most important distinction is that Trump has approved the execution; Hasan has not been executed, and a final execution date has not yet been announced.