Trump Approves Firing Squad for Fort Hood Shooter Nidal Hasan

President Trump has approved the execution of Nidal Hasan, the former Army major convicted of the 2009 Fort Hood attack, by U.S. Army firing squad. Hasan killed 13 people and wounded 32 in the rampage.

Chief Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell announced the decision, stating that Secretary of War Pete Hegseth recommended the execution and that Trump approved it. "Judgement day for Hasan has finally come," Parnell said on social media. Hegseth echoed this sentiment, calling the decision "Justice."

Hasan carried out the attack in November 2009 at a Fort Hood medical readiness building, opening fire on soldiers preparing for medical tests and vaccinations. He shouted "Allahu Akbar," Arabic for "God is great," during the assault. Hasan later claimed the attack stemmed from anger over being deployed to Afghanistan and a desire to protect Islamic and Taliban leaders from U.S. troops.

He was shot and paralyzed from the waist down during the incident and was sentenced to death in 2013. During his trial, Hasan admitted to starting the rampage, stating he had "switched sides" in what he called America's war with Islam and that he wanted to prevent American soldiers from deploying to kill Muslims. Government lawyers also indicated Hasan did not wish to be deployed to Afghanistan.

The Department of Defense had previously characterized the attack as an act of workplace violence rather than terrorism.

This execution, if carried out by firing squad, would mark the second such instance in the U.S. since 2010. Historically, at least 144 civilian prisoners have been executed by shooting in America since 1608, primarily in Utah. Only four such executions have occurred since the resumption of capital punishment in 1977 after a ten-year pause.

One notable case was Gary Gilmore in 1977, who waived his appeals and volunteered for execution, famously stating "Let's do it" as his last words. More recently, in March of the previous year, Brad Sigmon was executed by firing squad in South Carolina for the murder of his ex-girlfriend's parents.

The Army will set the time and place for Hasan's execution.