Nidal Malik Hasan’s Long Road to a Firing Squad at Fort Hood

Nearly 17 years after the deadliest mass shooting on a U.S. military base, the Army has set a date. On December 3, 2026, at 1 p.m. Central Time, former Army Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan is scheduled to face a firing squad at Fort Hood, Texas—the same post where he opened fire on unarmed soldiers and civilians in 2009.

The Pentagon says the execution will be livestreamed. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has called the choice of method, place, and time a “no-brainer.” If carried out, it would mark the first U.S. military execution since 1961 and the first by firing squad since World War II.

What Happened on November 5, 2009

That afternoon, Hasan walked into the Soldier Readiness Processing Center at Fort Hood near Killeen, Texas. Soldiers were lining up for medical checks and immunizations before deploying to Iraq or Afghanistan. Many were unarmed.

Hasan shouted “Allahu Akbar” and began shooting with a laser-sighted handgun. The attack lasted about 10 minutes. Thirteen people died—12 soldiers and one civilian physician assistant. Thirty-two others were wounded. Among the dead was Pfc. Francheska Velez, who was three months pregnant.

Responding police officers shot Hasan. He was left paralyzed from the waist down and has used a wheelchair ever since.

Who Is Nidal Malik Hasan?

Born September 8, 1970, in Arlington, Virginia, to Palestinian immigrant parents, Hasan grew up in a Muslim household.

He enlisted in the Army after high school against his parents’ wishes. He earned degrees in biochemistry and medicine through military programs, trained as a psychiatrist at Walter Reed, and rose to the rank of major.

Colleagues later described a man who grew increasingly isolated and vocal about his opposition to U.S. wars in Muslim countries. He had exchanged emails with the radical cleric Anwar al-Awlaki. In court he admitted he was the shooter and said he acted to protect the Taliban and Muslim fighters from American troops.

A military jury convicted him in 2013 of 13 counts of premeditated murder and 32 counts of attempted premeditated murder. The same panel unanimously sentenced him to death. He exhausted his military appeals. The U.S. Supreme Court declined to review the case in March 2025.

Why a Firing Squad—and Why Now?

Military death sentences require presidential approval. On October 2, 2026, President Donald Trump approved Hasan’s sentence after a recommendation from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

Acting Army Secretary Adam Telle then set the date, place, and method under Army regulations that give the secretary wide discretion on how to carry out the sentence.

Hegseth has been blunt. He said the execution would take place at Fort Hood on a Thursday at roughly the same hour as the original attack, carried out by soldiers with rifles.

The Pentagon later confirmed the proceedings would be livestreamed so the public could see the consequences.

The last U.S. military execution was the 1961 hanging of Army Pvt. John A. Bennett at Fort Leavenworth. The last military firing squad took place in 1945.

Fort Hood itself has a complicated recent history. Briefly renamed Fort Cavazos in 2023, the post returned to the name Fort Hood in 2025, now honoring a World War I hero rather than a Confederate general.

The Human Cost That Still Echoes

For the families of the 13 people killed and the dozens wounded, the years since 2009 have been a long wait for finality.

Survivors and relatives have described the attack as an act of terrorism that forever changed their lives. Some victims were later awarded Purple Hearts after Congress stepped in.

Hasan remains one of only a handful of people on the military’s death row at the U.S. Disciplinary Barracks at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.

Legal experts note he still has the right to file a federal habeas corpus petition that could delay the scheduled date. Whether he will is an open question.

A Rare Chapter in Military Justice

Capital punishment has been rare in the modern U.S. military outside of wartime. The decision to use a firing squad, hold the execution at the scene of the crime, and make it public breaks decades of quiet practice.

Supporters say it delivers long-delayed justice and sends a clear message. Critics question both the method and the public spectacle.

Whatever happens on December 3, the case of Nidal Malik Hasan has already forced the country to confront hard questions about radicalization inside the ranks, the limits of military justice, and what accountability looks like after nearly two decades.

The victims and their families have waited long enough.

Sources

• U.S. Army Public Affairs announcement, October 7, 2026

• Pentagon statements and remarks by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, October 2026

• San Antonio Express-News, Yahoo News, Military Times, CBS News, Reuters, and Death Penalty Information Center reporting, October 2026

• Contemporary accounts of the 2009 Fort Hood shooting and 2013 court-martial

• Historical records on U.S. military executions (1961 and earlier)